What is the best way (faster) to learn the menu when you start to work in a new restaurant?
I always find learning the menu challenge when I start to work in a new restaurant. Be honest with each other! The best way to learn anything can take time. There is no such thing that I memorize everything on the menu in a week. Even though I worked at the restaurant for more than six months, there are some items on the menu I didn't remember correctly.
A server should know the menu very well, which helps the server be confident during interaction with guests. Since a pandemic happened to us, I have to change my workplace three times this year. One of the common suggestions; when a server needs to learn the menu items is the Flash Cards technique. Flashcards are typically two-sided, with the prompt on one side and the information about the prompt on the other.
I use the flashcard learning technique when I start to work in a new restaurant. In a short time, it helps me to learn some ingredients. There are always some menu items that make me confused to remember.
My other method is taking small notes about the menu items in my notebook. If a patron asks me about a specific menu item or ingredients, I can check the information in my notes and answer their question fast. After I followed this procedure to answer the menu questions, I started to remember them, and I didn't even need to look them up anymore to answer questions.
I hope you find this information helpful. Please add your comment if you have any other techniques to help you learn the menu faster.
#foodservices #foodservice #wordsofadvice #advice #jobsearch #interview #firstjob
I have worked in culinary for a number of years. I believe that the best way to remember the menu is break it up by meal. If you are a dinner server just remember dinner. When you have time you try to remember lunch and breakfast. You may never know when you may have to fill in another shift. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions. There have to be people who have lots of experience. They had to learn the menu at there beginning of the job.
In my opinion the best way to remember the menu is to make the dish yourself ( with the chef at your side to assure your not hurt or stressing out if you feel like you can’t make it he or she can take over
Yes! It can be so hard sometimes! Some menus are just longer and more intricate than others, and you never know what a patron will ask about a dish! I love the flash cards technique or having a coworker quiz me. In most of the places I've worked you've had to take a test on the menu before you could even start serving, so it's pretty important to learn! Thanks for this post! 💗
If ur a server learn ur cooks lingo it will help
Hi Nur Yunlu,
This is a great question! I would suggest trying out the items on the menu. I think this works best when trying to learn the menu. It helped me a lot some years ago, when I was a host at a restaurant in the downtown area of Milwaukee. That way, you can also give your personal opinion on the dishes. I hope this helps
If you can’t do that then take a piece of paper and make it a plate…. Then make flash cards of all the ingredients that are used in the menu and now you have a game where you pick a index card from the pile of dishes served at the restaurant, whichever dish is written on card you draw Is now the dish you have to make so you have to use the correct index cards with ingredients written on them and make the right dish
So true
Flash cards?
With the internet I can study the menu at lunch as I decide my dinner orders. Anything the server recommends is appreciated by me. Never returned a meal and don't plan to start,Ford