When you think of a house front, an image of a building’s facade might come to mind. But in the restaurant industry and the retail industry, the front of house is the area where magic happens, where guests are welcomed, wined, dined, served, and bid farewell.
FOH stands for Front of House, a term that covers all customer-facing aspects of a restaurant and retail operation. From the waiting area to the dining room, bar and shop floor, these spaces form all of the guest’s experience. The FOH meaning extends beyond these physical spaces, encompassing all actions that a customer can witness during their visit, contrasting with the back of house (BOH), where behind-the-scenes tasks like food preparation and stock control take place.
The dining room is where restaurant guests spend most of their time, making it a vital area for FOH staff members to maintain cleanly and orderly with the help of a kitchen display system. The hostess station, which significantly influences first impressions, should be prominently visible and continuously manned.
Host stands, also known as menu stands, hold menus or reservation books and serve as podiums in the restaurant setting.
In the context of retail, the shop floor is the equivalent of the front of house in a restaurant. It’s the stage where customers engage with products and sales associates, and where first impressions are made. The retail shop floor is meticulously designed to optimise customer flow and product placement, ensuring that shoppers can easily find what they’re looking for and perhaps discover items they didn’t know they needed.
Visual merchandising plays a crucial role on the shop floor, with displays arranged to catch the eye and entice customers. Sales associates, akin to servers in a restaurant, are the face of the retail brand. They provide customer service, assist with finding products, manage fitting rooms, and handle transactions. In a retail setting, the cashier’s desk serves a similar purpose to a hostess station, often being the first and last point of contact for customers.
The shop floor’s ambiance, cleanliness, and layout are all part of the FOH experience in retail, contributing to customer satisfaction and encouraging repeat business. Just as in dining, the success of a retail operation heavily relies on the effectiveness of its front of house, or in this case, the shop floor experience.
The front of house holds the key to creating a positive dining experience, which is vital to the success of a restaurant. The excellence of FOH operations, such as the service provided by wait staff, is integral to building customer loyalty. With the rise of online reviews, the reputation of a restaurant’s FOH can significantly impact its success, underlining the importance of high standards in service and customer interaction.
The front of house staff, occupying various house positions, is an example of a well-tuned team, each member playing a critical role, each with specific responsibilities that contribute to the smooth operation of the restaurant or retail outlet.
The front-of-house manager oversees FOH operations, supervises staff training, and ensures guests have a positive experience. As part of FOH management, the head waiter, or captain, manages the dining room staff and coordinates with the head chef and sous chef to ensure a seamless dining experience.
Hosts and Hostesses
Hosts and hostesses form the welcoming committee, often being the first point of contact for guests. They play a critical role in making a good first impression, which sets the tone for the customer’s experience. Hosts manage the flow by tracking reservations, walk-ins, and guest wait times.
In a restaurant, they also coordinate the seating chart to balance the server’s workload and communicate any specials or restaurant events to the guests upon seating to keep the operation running smoothly.
Servers
Servers have a variety of responsibilities in a restaurant which can include acting as the bridge between the kitchen staff and the dining room, accurately recording customers’ food and drink orders, managing multiple tables and courses, and even addressing any customer complaints to ensure a satisfactory dining experience.
Bussers
Bussers work diligently in behind-the-scenes areas. They clear tables after guests leave, wipe down the surfaces, and keep resetting tables for new guests, placing clean linens, cutlery, and glassware according to the restaurant’s standards.
They also assist servers by refilling water, bringing clean silverware or condiments to the table as needed, and taking care of dirty dishes. Food runners, including the food runner in this context, help the kitchen manager to maintain smooth service.
Bartenders
Bartenders hold the reins of the bar, mixing drinks, serving beer and wine, maintaining bar inventory, and monitoring levels of spirits, mixers, beer, wine, and other bar supplies.
Bartenders also engage with guests, offering recommendations, answering questions about the drink menu, and creating a welcoming atmosphere by greeting guests.
Retail Associate
Retail associates are akin to servers in the restaurant's front of house. They are the direct representatives of the retail brand, providing personalised customer service, guiding customers through the range of products, managing fitting room logistics, and conducting sales transactions.
Their role is crucial in creating a positive shopping experience, offering product knowledge, and ensuring the shop floor is inviting and organised. By assisting customers with a smile and expert advice, retail associates play an integral part in fostering customer loyalty and driving sales, making them a key component of the retail front of house team.
Cashier
Cashiers, being the last point of contact for customers, give them a unique opportunity to leave a lasting impression. They are responsible for handling transactions with efficiency and accuracy, ensuring a smooth checkout process.
Cashiers must be adept at managing cash registers, processing payments, and addressing any billing queries. Their role extends beyond mere transactions; they are ambassadors of customer service, often tasked with answering questions, providing information about loyalty programs, and handling returns or exchanges with a positive attitude that reflects the establishment's commitment to customer satisfaction.