What is front-of-house service?

Front-of-house service (servicio de sala in Spanish) is the team that looks after guests during an event: waiters who serve food and drink, restock the setup and clear away what has been used, normally coordinated by a front-of-house manager or head waiter. Front-of-house catering is a separate part of the job from the kitchen and is often quoted separately.

What front-of-house staff do

• Serve drinks and pass trays at a welcome cocktail.
• Wait at the tables, course after course, at a seated menu.
• Restock food, glasses and tableware at a buffet or a standing lunch.
• Clear used plates and glasses and keep the service area clean.
• Act as the point of contact with the organisers: timings, last-minute changes, updates.

When it is needed

It is essential whenever food is served at the table or waiters pass trays. For a breakfast or a corporate lunch box, delivering and setting up is sometimes enough. The difference usually shows in the price: serving with waiters costs more than delivering and leaving everything set out, as our price guide explains.

How many waiters are needed

It depends on the format, the number of guests and the space: table service needs considerably more staff per guest than a drinks reception. For guideline figures and what changes them, see waiter-to-guest ratio.

How we can help

If you need front-of-house service for your event in Madrid, tell us the date, number of guests and format. There is more on our event catering in Madrid page. For the items used when serving, see tableware and equipment.

Related service: Event catering

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