The front of the house vs. the back of the house: what's the difference? When trying to understand how a restaurant operates, it is important to know the difference between the two very important sections that run this operation; the front of the house and the back of the house. To laymen like us, it seems quite a too simple definition.
The front of the house is where they serve guests and also includes waiters, servers, and busses who wear their elegant and luxurious aprons, while the rear of the house consists of those who are involved with the preparation of food such as chefs, cooks, and other kitchen staff decked out in their chef's white chef full aprons, such as bib aprons which cover their full-body from the upper torso to all bottom.
The front of the house vs. the back of the house: what's the difference?
The original definition of these two important areas in a restaurant or hotel, go deeper, though, and should be clearly understood in order to fully understand the operations involved with running a successful restaurant or cafe.
The front of the house is required in these areas and with people who have direct contact and are exposed to guests and customers. Such areas will include the entryway to the waiting area at the host station, dining room, bar, restrooms, outdoor seating area, etc., and require their staff members such as General manager, manager in front of the house, waiter, sommelier, waiter, server, host/hostess, carriers, etc.
Each of these individuals will play an important role in making their customers feel welcome and comfortable, and they do provide a special experience while dining in the restaurant. Most of these all staff members, such as bartenders, waiters, bussers, etc. will be attired in gorgeous uniforms and wearing stylish server aprons with restaurant branding on them.
The front of the house where there is a set the aesthetic theme of the restaurant and its appeal to customers to walk in while the staff in this particular section should be highly trained in how to handle and guests of guest requests, including how to handle the special requirements of the guests. They should have a pleasing personality and be favorable at all times, even when handling difficult customers.
Behind the house is where all the behind-the-scenes take place in a restaurant. In these areas, and those customers do not usually see or meet, and do not interact with anyone until the head chef is required to meet a guest. Behind the house is where the food is prepped, cooked, and plated before being sent out to the customer, and therefore since they are very much involved in the food preparation process, their staff members are required to wear clean uniforms at all times, such as chef coats and pants, Cook shirts, chef Aprons, etc.
The aprons used by their staff members are very different from the people used by the servers and waiters in front of them. The kitchen staff usually wears apron aprons, which cover their entire body from the upper torso from the lower legs (usually below the knees) and are designed with a neck loop and waist tie to help make the apron fit snugly around the wearer, and there are no protruding bits that can cause a risk by getting stuck in machinery or other places.
The back of the Home Department of a restaurant or hotel will include such areas as the kitchen, the employee restrooms, administrative office, etc., and the staff, especially the kitchen staff will have a hierarchy of big positions that are strictly enforced.
These major positions include head chef, sauce chef, line chef, shirt, dishwasher, etc. Whatever the position, though, they all be provided with uniforms that include chef aprons, in order to protect themselves from the dangers of the kitchen, as well as to ensure the highest level of Hygiene and cleanliness in food preparation.
Whatever section they work in, it is with the joint efforts from both front of house and back of House staff that a restaurant can carry out a successful business, and for this, there must be excellent communication between the two parts. For example, if the kitchen is out of the ingredients to make a specific dish, so they immediately make the servers and the waiter is aware of, and provide them with alternative transportation.
This teamwork between the two parts should be smooth, and although they are considered as two separate parts should move together like a well-oiled machine, because no team can survive on their own, but need all of the support from the general manager busser in the front of the head chef and a dishwasher in the back. Therefore, creating an atmosphere of good teamwork and communication is very important for businesses to be successful in providing our customers with the best possible dining experience.