Training Manual Template

Harbor & VineHospitality Group

Front of house · Level 1

Training manual 4 weeks · 4 modules

Front-of-House Service Training Manual

Everything a new host or server needs to welcome guests, run a section, and earn their Level 1 service certification at any Harbor & Vine restaurant.

01

The Harbor & Vine Welcome

Week 1 · Host stand & seating

02

The Ten Steps of Service

Week 2 · Running a table

03

Menu, Wine & Allergens

Week 3 · Product knowledge

04

Service Recovery & Teamwork

Week 4 · Certification

Trainee name

Restaurant

Start date

Start here

How to Use This Manual

This manual is your guide for your first four weeks on the floor. It works alongside your shifts, not instead of them. Read each module before the week it covers, bring the manual to every training shift, and write in it.

Harbor & Vine runs three restaurants in Savannah: Saltwick Oyster Bar, Vine Street Kitchen, and The Lantern Room. The menus are different, but the service standard is the same in every room. When you finish this program, you can work a shift at any of the three.

Each module follows the same four-part rhythm. You learn it, you watch it, you do it with help, and then you show it on your own.

Welcome aboard. Great service is not a script. It is paying attention and caring what happens next. The steps in this book give you a solid floor to stand on, so you can put your attention where it belongs: on the guest.

Renata AlvarezDirector of Hospitality, Harbor & Vine

1

Read

Read the module before your first shift of the week. About 30 minutes.

2

Watch

Shadow your trainer. Note one thing they do that is not in the book.

3

Practice

Run the procedure with your trainer next to you. Do the role-play.

4

Show

Complete the knowledge check and get your skills signed off.

What you will find in every module

Learning objectives

What you will be able to do by the end of the week. Your trainer checks these at sign-off.

Step-by-step procedures

Numbered steps with time targets. Follow them in order until they become habit.

Do & don't

The small habits guests notice. Green is what we do; red is what we avoid.

Scenario & role-play

A real situation from our floors. Practice it with your trainer before you meet it live.

Knowledge check

Four or five short questions. Answer in the book; your trainer reviews and initials the page.

Sign-offs

Your trainer initials each skill once you show it on a live shift, not before.

My trainer

My manager

Training restaurant

Your four weeks

Training Schedule

Training runs for four weeks, five shifts a week. You move from shadowing to leading a full section with your trainer close by. If you need more time on a module, your manager adds shifts. Nobody is rushed onto the floor.

Week	Focus	Shifts	Milestone
1	The Harbor & Vine Welcome Module 1 · Host stand	Orientation and a guided tour of all three restaurants (Monday). Three host-stand shadow shifts. One host shift with your trainer watching.	Module 1 knowledge check; greeting and seating signed off
2	The Ten Steps of Service Module 2 · Running a table	Three shadow shifts with a certified server. Two paired shifts where you lead two tables and your trainer runs the rest of the section.	Module 2 knowledge check; POS order entry signed off
3	Menu, Wine & Allergens Module 3 · Product knowledge	Menu tasting with the chef (Tuesday, 3 pm). Wine class with the beverage director (Thursday, 2 pm). Three paired shifts in a three-table section.	Menu test, pass mark 90%; allergen check, pass mark 100%
4	Service Recovery & Teamwork Module 4 · Certification	Two paired shifts in a full five-table section. Three “shadow-back” shifts: you run the section alone and your trainer shadows you.	Final sign-off with the general manager; Level 1 certification

Who does what

You, the trainee

• Arrive 15 minutes before each shift, in uniform
• Read each module before its week starts
• Ask questions, especially the obvious ones
• Keep this manual and bring it to every shift

Your trainer

• A certified server with at least one year with us
• Shows each procedure, then watches you do it
• Gives feedback at the end of every shift
• Initials skills only when you show them live

Your manager

• Meets you at the end of weeks 2 and 4
• Adds extra training shifts if you need them
• Runs your final sign-off and certification
• Is your first contact for any concern

What to bring on day one: black non-slip shoes, two working pens, a wine key (we give you your first one), your food handler card, and this manual. Uniform shirts and aprons are issued at orientation.

Week 2 check-in date

Menu & allergen test date

Certification meeting date

Module01

Week 1 About 3 hours of reading & practice

The Harbor & Vine Welcome

The first 60 seconds set the tone for the whole meal. In this module you learn how we greet, wait-list, and seat every guest, and how to hand a table to a server so the guest feels expected.

Learning objectives

• Greet every arriving guest within 30 seconds, even when you are on the phone
• Use the reservation system to check in, wait-list, and seat parties
• Quote a wait time that is honest and that we meet
• Seat parties using the section rotation
• Hand each table to its server with a clear table intro

Key content

The 10-and-5 rule. At 10 feet, make eye contact and smile. At 5 feet, speak first. This rule applies to every team member, not only the host.

Quote long, seat short. Add five minutes to every wait you quote. A guest seated early is happy; a guest seated late remembers it.

30 sec to greet a guest at the door

+5 min added to every wait quote

1 min for the server to reach a new table

Procedure: greeting and seating a walk-in party

1. 1

Greet first 0–30 sec

Look up, smile, and say “Good evening, welcome to Saltwick.” If you are on the phone, raise a hand and mouth “one moment.” 2. 2

Ask, do not assume

“How many in your party tonight?” Ask about a high chair, a booth, or accessible seating. 3. 3

Check the floor plan

Find the next table in the rotation that fits the party. Never seat two sections in a row. 4. 4

Quote or seat

No table? Quote the wait plus five minutes, take a name and mobile number, and offer a seat at the bar. 5. 5

Lead, do not point

Take the menus and walk one step ahead at the guest's pace. Make small talk on the way. 6. 6

Present the table

Pull out the first chair, place menus face-up, and point out the drink list and the daily specials card. 7. 7

Hand off within 1 min

Tell the server: table number, party size, and one detail. “Twelve, two guests, celebrating a birthday.” 8. 8

Update the system

Mark the table seated so the rotation and the wait list stay correct for the next guest.

From the floor: “On a full Saturday I write each guest's name and one detail on the wait list: the blue scarf, the stroller, the birthday. When their table is ready, I walk over and use their name. It turns a long wait into a warm welcome.” — Dana Whitfield, lead host, Vine Street Kitchen

My notes from shadow shifts

01 The Harbor & Vine Welcome Practice & check

Do & don't at the host stand

Do

• Stand at the host stand, facing the door, with your hands free
• Use the guest's name once you know it
• Thank guests for waiting when you seat them, every time
• Walk the wait list every 10 minutes and update guests in person

Don't

• Look at your screen while a guest is standing in front of you
• Say “just a few minutes” — always give a real number
• Seat a party at a table that has not been fully reset
• Let a guest leave without a goodbye from someone on the team

Role-play

Saturday, 7:40 pm. The wait is 45 minutes.

A couple without a reservation tells you it is their tenth anniversary and asks to be seated now. The only open table is a four-top held for a reservation arriving at 8:00.

How to run it: your trainer plays the guests. Run it twice: once where the couple accepts the bar, and once where they are disappointed and push back.

Your trainer looks for

• Congratulations before any talk of the wait
• An honest wait quote, not a promise
• A real alternative: two bar seats now, first table after
• The held four-top stays held
• A note to the server and manager about the anniversary

Knowledge check

5 questions

What does the 10-and-5 rule ask you to do at each distance?

Your system shows a 20-minute wait. What wait do you quote to the guest?

15 minutes 20 minutes 25 minutes

Name the three things you tell the server at hand-off.

Why do we never seat two parties in a row in the same section?

You are on the phone and a party walks in. What do you do in the first 30 seconds?

Score (out of 5)

Trainer name & initials

Date

Module02

Week 2 About 4 hours of reading & practice

The Ten Steps of Service

Every table at Harbor & Vine gets the same ten steps, in the same order, at the same pace. The steps are the floor, not the ceiling: once they are habit, you have room to make each table feel personal.

Learning objectives

• Run all ten steps of service for a table of up to six guests
• Meet the time standard for each touch point
• Enter orders in the POS by seat number with correct modifiers
• Read the table: pace courses to the guests, not to the kitchen

Key content

Seat numbers. Seat 1 is the chair closest to the kitchen door; count clockwise. Food runners use seat numbers, so guests never hear “Who had the snapper?”

Two bites, two minutes. Check back after each course once guests have had two bites, or two minutes, whichever is first. Ask a specific question, not “Is everything OK?”

A typical two-course dinner, minute by minute

0:00 Guests seated; greeting within 1 minute

0:04 Drinks on the table

0:10 Order taken and fired

0:22 Starters land; check back

0:45 Mains land; check back

1:20 Check presented on request

Procedure: the ten steps

1. 1

Greet 1 min

Introduce yourself, pour water, and ask if it is anyone's first visit. 2. 2

Drinks 4 min

Suggest one cocktail and one wine by the glass. Deliver from the right. 3. 3

Menu guide

Share two specials and the dish you would order yourself. Ask about allergies. 4. 4

Take the order 10 min

Start with the guest to the host's left, go clockwise; write by seat number. 5. 5

Enter & fire

Enter in the POS within two minutes. Read allergies aloud to the expo. 6. 6

Starters & check back

Two bites, two minutes. Refill drinks without asking if the glass is a third full. 7. 7

Clear & reset

Clear only when everyone is finished. Replace silverware before mains. 8. 8

Mains & check back

Food runs by seat number. Check back, then offer a second drink. 9. 9

Dessert & coffee

Present the dessert menu every time, with a recommendation. 10. 10

Check & farewell

Bring the check when asked; return payment within 3 minutes. Thank by name.

02 The Ten Steps of Service Practice & check

Do & don't at the table

Do

• Serve food from the left and drinks from the right
• Carry plates by the rim, never with a thumb on the surface
• Go into the kitchen with full hands and come out with full hands
• Tell the guest at once if a dish is delayed, and say by how long

Don't

• Ask “Are you still working on that?” — ask “May I clear your plate?”
• Reach across one guest to serve another
• Drop the check before anyone asks for it
• Say “No problem.” Say “My pleasure” or “Of course.”

Role-play

The kitchen is running 15 minutes behind.

Table 22, a four-top, finished their starters 20 minutes ago. Expo tells you their mains are 15 more minutes. Two guests keep looking toward the kitchen, and one has asked a busser where the food is.

How to run it: your trainer plays the table. Practice what you say to the guests, then what you say to your manager.

Your trainer looks for

• You go to the table before they call you
• A real time, not “it'll be right out”
• No blame on the kitchen in front of guests
• An offer: fresh bread, a drink refill
• The manager is told, so they can visit the table

Knowledge check

5 questions

Where is seat 1 at every table, and which way do you count?

What is the time standard for drinks to reach the table after guests sit down?

2 minutes 4 minutes 8 minutes

Write a better check-back question than “Is everything OK?”

When do you clear a course, and what do you replace before mains?

A dish is delayed. What two things does the guest need to hear from you?

Score (out of 5)

Trainer name & initials

Date

Module03

Week 3 Menu tasting + wine class

Menu, Wine & Allergens

Guests trust you to know what is on the plate and in the glass. This module covers how to describe a dish, how to suggest wine with confidence, and our allergen protocol, which has no shortcuts.

Learning objectives

• Describe every dish on your restaurant's menu in three parts
• Name the nine major allergens and where they hide on our menus
• Follow the allergen protocol on every order, every time
• Suggest a wine by the glass for each main course
• Present, open, and pour a bottle of wine at the table

Key content

The three-part dish description. What it is, how it is made, and why you like it. “Our black grouper is line-caught off Tybee, seared in brown butter, and it's the dish I'd order tonight.”

The nine major allergens — always ask, always flag:

Milk Eggs Fish Shellfish Tree nuts Peanuts Wheat Soy Sesame

Procedure: taking an order with an allergy

1. 1

Ask every table

Before you take the order: “Does anyone at the table have a food allergy I should share with the kitchen?” Ask even if the host already did. 2. 2

Get the details

Confirm the allergen, how severe it is, and whether shared fryers, grills, or cutting boards are a concern. 3. 3

Check, do not guess

Use the allergen binder at the server station. If the dish is not listed, ask the chef. Never say “I think it's fine.” 4. 4

Enter the allergy modifier in the POS

Add the red ALLERGY modifier and the allergen to that seat. The ticket prints in red at every station. 5. 5

Tell the chef in person

Walk to the pass and tell the chef or sous chef: table, seat, allergen. Wait for them to repeat it back. 6. 6

Hand-carry the plate

The allergy plate comes out on its own, carried by you or a manager, with a red pick in it. Name the dish and the allergen as you set it down.

Why the pass mark is 100%. A missed step on most procedures costs us a guest's evening. A missed step on this one can cost a guest's health. That is why the allergen check is the only test in this program you must pass with every answer correct, and why you can always stop service to ask the chef.

03 Menu, Wine & Allergens Practice & check

Procedure: wine by the bottle, in five moves

1. 1

Present

Show the label to the host. Say producer, wine, and vintage. 2. 2

Open

Cut the foil below the lip. Remove the cork quietly. 3. 3

Taste

Pour about one ounce for the host to approve. 4. 4

Pour

Clockwise, guests first, host last; a third of a glass. 5. 5

Place

Bottle at the host's right, label out. Top up glasses.

Do & don't with menus and allergies

Do

• Taste every new dish at line-up
• Say “Let me check with the chef” when unsure
• Treat “no onions” as seriously as an allergy

Don't

• Pull an ingredient off a plate to “fix” it
• Say “allergen-free”; say “prepared without”
• Pour before the host approves the bottle

Role-play

A shellfish allergy at Saltwick.

A guest with a severe shellfish allergy wants the market fish. It is cooked on the same flat-top as the shrimp. The guest says, “It's fine, I'll just take my chances.”

How to run it: trainer plays the guest; end at the pass.

Your trainer looks for

• You tell the guest about the shared flat-top
• You do not accept “I'll take my chances”
• You offer the chef's separate-pan option
• All six protocol steps, in order

Knowledge check

4 questions

Name the three parts of a dish description.

Which allergen was added to the major list most recently?

Soy Sesame Tree nuts

Who carries an allergy plate to the table, and how is it marked?

In what order do you pour a bottle for a table of four?

Menu test score (pass: 90%)

Trainer name & initials

Date

Module04

Week 4 Certification week

Service Recovery & Teamwork

Things go wrong in every restaurant. What guests remember is how we fix it. This module teaches the HEARD method for complaints, what you can fix on your own, and how we work as one team on a busy floor.

Learning objectives

• Use the HEARD method to handle a guest complaint
• Know what you can fix yourself and when to call a manager
• Log every recovery in the shift notes
• Use our floor calls to move safely on a busy floor
• Finish closing sidework to the checklist standard

What you can fix on your own

Situation	Your authority
Wrong or cold dish	Re-fire at once; tell the manager
Long wait for food	Comp a drink or dessert, up to $15
Spill on a guest	Get the manager; offer dry cleaning
Above $15	Manager decides, at the table

The HEARD method

H

Hear

Let the guest finish. Do not interrupt or explain.

E

Empathize

“I'd be frustrated too.” Show that you understand.

A

Apologize

A sincere, simple sorry. No excuses, no blame.

R

Resolve

Fix it fast, or offer a choice of fixes.

D

Diagnose

After service, find out why it happened.

Procedure: handling a complaint at the table

1. 1

Stop and face the guest

Put down what you are carrying. Make eye contact and listen to the end. 2. 2

Repeat it back

“So the steak came out well-done, and you asked for medium-rare.” 3. 3

Apologize once, sincerely

“I'm sorry. That's not what you ordered, and I'll fix it now.” 4. 4

Offer a choice within 1 min

Re-fire the dish, or choose something else from the menu. 5. 5

Tell the manager

Every complaint, even when it is solved. The manager visits the table. 6. 6

Log it

Write it in the shift notes: table, issue, fix, and comp amount.

Teamwork on a busy floor. No section belongs to one server. If food is in the window, run it. If a guest at any table looks around, go to them. We pool our side work and close as a team: nobody leaves until the last station is done.

04 Service Recovery & Teamwork Practice & check

Floor calls — say them loud and clear

“Behind”

You are passing behind someone. Say it every time.

“Corner”

You are coming around a blind corner or doorway.

“Hot”

You are carrying a hot plate, pan, or coffee pot.

“Heard”

You got the message and you will act on it.

Do & don't when things go wrong

Do

• Own the problem, even when it was not your mistake
• Ask for help early: “Can you run 24 for me?”
• Help a teammate before you are asked
• Thank the guest for telling you

Don't

• Blame the kitchen, the host, or a busy night
• Argue with a guest about what they ordered
• Hide a problem until the check arrives
• Comp anything above $15 without a manager

Role-play

A business dinner goes wrong.

Table 31, a business dinner for three. Mains took 35 minutes. The host's ribeye is well-done instead of medium-rare. He says, quietly but clearly, “This is not what I expected from you.”

How to run it: your trainer plays the host, then the manager. Practice HEARD, then your hand-off.

Your trainer looks for

• All five HEARD steps, with no excuses
• A choice offered within one minute
• The manager visits before the new steak lands
• The issue logged in the shift notes

Knowledge check

4 questions

What do the five letters of HEARD stand for?

What is the most you can comp without a manager?

$10 $15 $25

What four details go into the shift notes after a recovery?

You are carrying a hot skillet past the bar. What do you call out?

Score (out of 4)

Trainer name & initials

Date

Skills sign-off

Skills Sign-off Checklist

Your trainer initials each skill only after you show it on a live shift without help. You initial to confirm you feel ready. All 16 skills must be signed off before your certification meeting.

Skill shown on a live shift	Trainee	Trainer	Date
1The Harbor & Vine Welcome
Greets every guest within 30 seconds, including during phone calls
Checks in, wait-lists, and seats parties in the reservation system
Quotes honest wait times and updates the wait list every 10 minutes
Hands off tables with number, party size, and one guest detail
2The Ten Steps of Service
Runs all ten steps for a six-top and meets the time standards
Enters orders by seat number with correct modifiers
Paces courses and checks back with a specific question
Processes split checks, gift cards, and card refunds in the POS
3Menu, Wine & Allergens
Describes every menu item in three parts
Follows all six allergen protocol steps on a live order
Suggests a wine by the glass for each main course
Presents, opens, and pours a bottle of wine
4Service Recovery & Teamwork
Handles a complaint with HEARD and involves the manager
Logs every recovery and comp in the shift notes
Uses floor calls and runs food for other sections
Completes closing sidework to the checklist standard

Keep this page handy

Quick Reference

02The ten steps

1. Greet within 1 minute; pour water
2. Drinks on the table within 4 minutes
3. Menu guide: two specials, one favorite, allergies
4. Order clockwise, by seat number
5. Enter & fire within 2 minutes
6. Starters: check back at two bites, two minutes
7. Clear & reset silverware before mains
8. Mains: check back, offer a second drink
9. Dessert & coffee menu, every table
10. Check on request; payment back in 3 minutes

03Allergen protocol

1. Ask every table, every time
2. Get details: allergen, severity, cross-contact
3. Check the allergen binder or the chef
4. Enter the red ALLERGY modifier by seat
5. Tell the chef in person; hear it repeated
6. Hand-carry the plate with a red pick

Say: “prepared without,” never “allergen-free.”

01Time standards

• Greet at the door 30 sec
• Server reaches a new table 1 min
• Drinks on the table 4 min
• Order entered after taking it 2 min
• Payment returned 3 min
• Table reset after guests leave 5 min

04HEARD & your authority

• Hear · Empathize · Apologize · Resolve · Diagnose
• Re-fire a wrong or cold dish You, now
• Comp a drink or dessert Up to $15
• Anything above $15 Manager
• Tell the manager about every complaint

☎Who to call

Saltwick Oyster Bar (912) 555-0121

Vine Street Kitchen (912) 555-0137

The Lantern Room (912) 555-0148

Manager on duty (912) 555-0102

Scheduling & shift swaps schedule@harborandvine.example.com

Injury or emergency Call 911, then the manager

The finish line

Training Completion Acknowledgment

Complete this page at your certification meeting with your general manager. A copy goes into your personnel file, and you keep this manual.

By signing below, I confirm that:

• I have completed all four modules of the Front-of-House Service Training Manual.
• I passed each knowledge check, the menu test (90% or higher), and the allergen check (100%).
• All 16 skills on the sign-off checklist were shown on live shifts and initialed by my trainer.
• I understand the allergen protocol and will follow every step on every order.
• I know my comp authority and will involve a manager in every guest complaint.
• I will ask my manager for more training whenever I feel unsure about any procedure.

Level 1 unlocks

• Your own five-table section
• Shifts at all three restaurants
• Level 2 training (captain or bar) after 90 days

Trainee signaturePrint name and date

Trainer signaturePrint name and date

General manager signaturePrint name and date

RestaurantSaltwick Oyster Bar · Vine Street Kitchen · The Lantern Room

For office use

Employee ID

Certification date

Pay rate effective

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