Restaurant owner’s dictionary
A quick-reference guide to key terms, tools, and lingo used in the restaurant industry. This glossary will help you understand common terms, streamline…
In this article
A quick-reference guide to key terms, tools, and lingo used in the restaurant industry.
This glossary will help you understand common terms, streamline operations, and communicate more effectively with staff, vendors, and customers – whether you're opening your first restaurant or improving an already-existing one.
1. Operations & management
- Front of House (FOH): The area of the restaurant where customers are served (e.g., dining room, reception).
- Back of House (BOH): Areas behind the scenes, such as kitchen, storage, and staff areas.
- POS System (Point of Sale): Software and hardware used to manage transactions, print receipts, and track sales.
- Inventory Management: System for tracking food and supply stock levels, usage, and ordering.
- Table Turnover: The number of times a table is occupied and vacated during a service period.
- Cover: A single customer served; often used to measure revenue potential (e.g., “We did 80 covers tonight.”).
2. Staffing & HR
- Host/Hostess: Greets and seats guests.
- Server/Waitstaff: Takes orders, serves food and drinks.
- Busser: Assists waitstaff by clearing tables and resetting them.
- Chef de Cuisine (Executive Chef): Head of the kitchen, responsible for menu and operations.
- Line Cook: Prepares food at a specific station (e.g., grill, sauté).
- Kitchen Porter/Dishwasher: Cleans dishes and kitchen tools.
3. Menu & service
- Prix Fixe Menu: A set menu with fixed price for a number of courses.
- À la Carte: Menu items priced and ordered separately.
- Upselling: Encouraging customers to purchase additional or premium items.
- Food Cost Percentage: Ratio of ingredient costs to menu price; used to assess profitability.
- Specials: Limited-time dishes used to highlight creativity or use surplus ingredients.
4. Technology & tools
- Restaurant Booking System: Software to manage bookings (e.g., Resos).
- RMS (Restaurant Management System): Integrated tools for reservations, orders, payments, and reports.
- Kitchen Display System (KDS): Digital screen replacing printed order tickets in the kitchen.
- QR Menu: Digital menu accessible via QR code scan.
- RwG (Reserve with Google): Integration allowing customers to book directly through Google.
5. Customer service & experience
- Guest Recovery: Actions taken to resolve a guest complaint or poor experience.
- Loyalty Program: Incentives to encourage repeat visits (e.g., points, discounts).
- No-Show: When a guest does not honor a reservation without canceling.
- Walk-In: Guests who arrive without a reservation.
6. Marketing & revenue
- Average Check (Per Cover): The average amount spent per guest.
- Turnover Rate (Staff): Frequency at which staff leave and are replaced.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Improving online visibility of your restaurant.
- ROI (Return on Investment): Revenue gained versus money invested, e.g., on ads or software.
7. Compliance & safety
- HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point): Safety protocol for food prep and storage.
- Food Handler’s Certificate: Certification required to work in food prep/handling roles.
- Licensing: Required permits for food service, alcohol sales, health compliance, etc.
- Allergen Labelling: Identifying allergens (nuts, gluten, dairy, etc.) on menus.
A–Z dictionary
Tap any letter to jump to that section. Click a term to expand its definition.
A
À la carte
A menu style where each item is priced separately.
Average Check (Avg. Check)
The average amount spent per guest during a meal.
B
Back of House (BOH)
The area of the restaurant not visible to guests, like the kitchen and storage.
Bar POS
A point-of-sale system tailored for bar operations, often including quick tab creation and liquor tracking.
Booking System
Software used to manage reservations and walk-ins efficiently.
Bev nap
Small napkin placed under beverages.
Blue plate special
A daily low-priced meal offering.
Busser
Staff member who clears and resets tables.
C
Campers
Guests who linger at their table after finishing their meal.
Chef de partie
Station chef responsible for a specific area of production.
Comp
Complimentary item given to a guest.
Cover
A single guest served in a restaurant. “100 covers” means 100 diners.
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
The total cost of ingredients and inventory used to make dishes sold.
Curbside pickup
Service allowing customers to collect orders without entering the restaurant.
D
Dead plate
A dish that cannot be served due to errors or delays.
Deuce
A table set for two guests.
Dine and dash
When a customer leaves without paying.
Double seating
Turning a table over twice during a service period.
Drop
To start cooking a dish.
Dupe
Duplicate ticket or order slip.
E
Early bird special
Discounted meals offered during early dining hours.
Eight-six (86)
Indicates an item is no longer available.
Expeditor (Expo)
Staff member who ensures orders are prepared and delivered promptly.
Entremetier
Chef responsible for vegetables, soups, and starches.
F
Family meal
Meal prepared for and shared by the restaurant staff.
FIFO
Inventory method: First In, First Out.
Fire
Command to start cooking a dish.
Flash
Quickly heating food before serving.
FOH (Front of House)
Areas visible to guests, including dining and bar areas.
Food runner
Staff member who delivers dishes from the kitchen to tables.
G
Garde manger
Chef responsible for cold dishes like salads and charcuterie.
Ghost kitchen
Delivery-only kitchen without a dine-in facility.
Grillardin
Chef specializing in grilled items.
Gueridon service
Tableside food preparation and service.
H
Happy hour
Promotional period with discounted food and drinks.
High-top
Tall table, often used in bar areas.
Hockey puck
Slang for an overcooked burger patty.
Host/Hostess
Staff member who greets and seats guests.
I
In the weeds
Overwhelmed with tasks during service.
Inventory management
Tracking and controlling stock levels.
Iron chef
Slang for a highly skilled chef.
J
Jockey box
Portable cooler used to dispense draft beer.
K
KDS (Kitchen Display System)
Digital screen displaying orders in the kitchen.
Kill it
Cooking meat well-done.
L
Line Cook
Chef responsible for a specific station on the line.
Loyalty program
System rewarding repeat customers.
M
Maître d’
Head of restaurant staff, overseeing service.
Mise en place
Preparation and organization of ingredients before cooking.
Monkey dish
Small bowl used for sauces or side items.
N
No-call
Employee absence without notification.
No-Show
A guest who books a table and fails to arrive without canceling.
Nuke it
Informal term used to describe quickly reheating food in a microwave.
O
Omakase
Japanese dining style, where the chef selects the dishes.
On the Fly
Urgent request for a dish to be prepared quickly.
Open table time
Available reservation slots.
P
Par level
Standard inventory quantity to be maintained.
Pâtissier
Pastry chef.
Pick up
Command for servers to collect prepared dishes.
POS (Point of Sale)
System for processing sales transactions.
Prix fixe menu
Set menu with fixed courses and price.
Q
Quick service restaurant (QSR)
Fast-food establishment with limited table service.
R
Ramekin
Small dish used for sauces or desserts.
Reserve with Google
Feature allowing reservations via Google platforms.
Rôtisseur
Chef specializing in roasted and braised meats.
S
Saucier
Chef responsible for sauces and sautéed items.
Service charge
Automatic fee added to a bill, often in lieu of tipping.
Signature dish
A chef’s or restaurant’s hallmark dish.
T
Table turnover
How many times a table is used in a service period.
Turnover Rate (Staff)
Rate at which employees leave and are replaced.
U
Upselling
Encouraging customers to purchase additional or premium items.
V
Void
Cancelling a transaction or item from a bill in the POS system before finalizing payment.
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly
Terms used to designate menu items or restaurants that cater to plant-based diets. “V” symbols are often used on menus.
W
Walk-In
A guest who arrives without a reservation.
Waitlist
A system to manage guests waiting for a table when the restaurant is at capacity.
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