Flatware is the utensils used for eating and serving food, usually metal. This includes forks, knives, spoons and serving pieces. In the hospitality industry we often use the term flatware interchangeably with cutlery or silverware, although flatware doesn’t have to be made of silver.
Flatware is key to the dining experience in all types of hospitality. It’s not just about function, the quality, design and presentation of flatware can make a big impact on the guest’s overall service and attention to detail. Well maintained, clean and properly placed flatware adds to the ambiance and a positive guest experience. In high end restaurants the type and arrangement of flatware can even tell you the type of cuisine or the number of courses being served.
So let’s say you’re a restaurant manager and you have a big banquet tonight. You tell your staff, 'Make sure we have 200 sets of flatware polished and ready for the wedding reception tonight. We’ll need dinner forks, salad forks, dessert spoons and steak knives at each setting.' This way your team knows how important it is to have the right utensils ready, clean and in the right place for each guest for a smooth dining experience.