Ask Dave
(Or, What does Jeeves Know?)
February 2001
Please send your questions to dave@dinersoft.com

Q. I have a Diner located in Long Island ,New York and I am looking for a POS touch screen system which is Windows based that can run up to 15 stations or so. I will probably start out with only three stations and expand upon that need it to function as a touch screen system for the waiter/waitresses with the ability to add or remove items on each order (ie: steak medium-well ,no onions etc.).  If you could offer me some current solutions I would appreciate it.

Thank You,
Glenn, Island Grill Diner
Long Island, NY

A.  Hi Glenn,

After visiting all the POS booths at the latest restaurant show in San Francisco I feel there are five systems I can currently recommend for you to research.

Each system has its pros and cons and some of these factors are determined by your local area's representatives. You need to base your decision on the following criteria:

1. Price
2. Capabilities of system
3. On site service
4. Help desk
5. Ease of use for both hourly and management staff

The systems that I felt had the minimum capabilities in all these areas are (not in order of rank):

   * Micros
   * Squirrel
   * Positouch
   * Aloha
   * Sable (see Dinersoft's in depth review)

Each has a niche in the market--some for the high end user, some for the more cost conscious.

I recommend that you have each company come out and give you a presentation of their system.  Also ask for a current client list (not a referral list as they usually pick customers who haven't had any issues) of customers using the version you will be looking at.

Be diligent in getting feedback from managers who work closely with the system as these are the people in the trenches and they will tell it like it is.

Good luck,

Dave

Q.  Dear Dave,

I am in the process of making a formal proposal for a parade style of service at my hotel.  At present, we do a standard American style service with pairs of servers in sections of banquet tables.  Service is with the left and, proceeding at counterclockwise starting with ladies.  It is my associate's understanding that French service (parade or otherwise) is with the right hand, proceeding clockwise.  I however have yet to see anything in writing to substantiate this.  Could you please enlighten or point me in the right direction?

Thanks greatly,

Eldon B. Hamblin II

A.  

Hi Eldon,

I used to use the French parade style service at Hotel Sofitel in San Francisco where I was the banquet manager in 1987-1989.  We called it "English-Style" service, as we were a high-end French hotel. Everyone else in the world calls it French-style service because they are generally the only ones who still use it.

At the hotel, we were instructed by Jean Pierre Fissore, who  was sent from Paris as a consultant on French wine and service by Sofitel International.

As I recall all food was placed on hot, medium sized stainless oval trays with the entrees being placed in the center and the starches and vegetables on each end. The ovals were then placed in hot boxes for a very short period until there were enough ovals accumulated for each server.

At this point the servers would grab a medium sized serving fork and spoon with one hand and the ovals with the other and parade out into the banquet room from the back entrance to the front of the room.
Then the server would serve the ladies first and go clockwise around the table using the fork and spoon as tongs with a special hand-grip. He then would follow with gentleman and then proceed back to the kitchen to get the next oval.

The benefits of using this style are:

1. Presentation - the "WOW" effect
2. Hotter and fresher food - the food doesn't stay in the hot box to long for large parties.
3. Ease on the kitchen - they don't have to plate each meal
4. Save on food - If someone doesn't want veggies as they are being served they usually decline.
5. More formal service

The liabilities are:

1. More servers - takes longer to serve each table
2. Physical work - smaller men and alot of women had a hard time with the ovals plus sweating in a hot room proved to be unsanitary a times when leaning over a platter of food.
3. Back injuries - due to the strain on the lower back form the weight of the oval
4. Need for better trained staff - some of our help only worked twice a month for big banquets so training them was more difficult.

Think long and hard before doing this. I would stick to using this on small VIP functions and only with your most trusted personnel.

Hope this helps,

Dave