Qualification : Food and Beverage Services NC II
Module Title : Preparing the Dining Room/Restaurant Area for
Service
Learning Outcome No. 4 : Set the mood/ambiance of the Dining Area.
Assessment Criteria
1. Lights are adjusted according to the time of the day.
2. Tables, chairs and other dining room furniture are arranged to ensure comfort and
convenience of the guests.
3. Appropriate music is played when applicable,
4. Floors/carpets are cleaned and made sure are dry.
5. Air-condition or cooling units are adjusted for the comfort of the guests.
6. Decorations are set up according to theme or concept of the dining room.
Resources
Dining ware
Tableware
Training materials
Reference
The Waiter’s Handbook (3rd Edition), Graham Brown and Karon Hepner, Pearson South Asia
Pte. Ltd. (Philippines), Copyright @2005.
Food and Beverage Services. Leonora D. Basbas. Rex Printing Company, Inc., Metro
Manila (Philippines), Copyright @ 2017.
Food Service and Bartending. Roldan, [Link]. AR Skills Development and Management
Services, Metro Manila (Philippines), Copyright @ 2013.
LEARNING OUTCOME NO. 4 : Set the mood/ambiance of the Dining Area.
Learning Activities Special Instructions/Outcomes
Discuss the following: Have the students practice setting the music
Factors to consider in setting the table; or adjusting the lighting and have them give
Proper ambiance in the dining room. reasons for their choices.
Demonstrate the following: At the end of the session, the students must
Types of music for the dining area be able to set the dining area in the most
Proper lighting for the dining area. comfortable lighting, temperature and music
for the students.
INFORMATION SECTION
Preparing the Dining Room for Service
Preparing the dining room is as important as serving delicious, attractive and
clean food. An attractive, clean and comfortable dining room can seduce
potential customers to come into the restaurant and the regular customers to
keep on coming back. An enticing room would give success in operating the
food service establishment be it a hotel, a restaurant, an industrial canteen or a
school canteen.
The dining room is the show window of any food service establishment. Its
reputation and popularity depend much on its ambiance. Ambiance refers to
the overall atmosphere that pervades in the dining room. It is created or
brought about by the choice of furniture, decors, lighting and the arrangement
of all these as to create an impression in which reflects the theme of the
restaurant, be it native, sophisticated, classy or casual. Preparing the dining
room includes the following:
Arranging the tables and chairs and other furniture and furnishings
Choosing the appropriate motif, decors and accessories, and
Preparing the table appointments
The dining room must be planned in relation to the other parts of the food
service establishment as to provide easy accessibility, convenience and comfort
to customers and to food service personnel.
The type and quality of facilities in the dining room should consider the type of
menu served, time of service, kind of customers, and customer load. It should
also consider the available space, amount of lighting, and ventilation including
pleasant views from the dining room windows which can enhance the ambiance
and the appeal of the setting and even the food.
Space must be provided near the dining room including rest rooms, cloak
rooms, wash room, phone booths and enough space for elbow and body
movements along the aisles for walking.
Today’s décor in fast food, school canteens and restaurants have become
fashionable in terms of colours (red, orange, yellow, etc.), and styles of
furniture, curtains, blinds and accessories. This creates an ambiance of cheer,
life and vibrancy. On one hand, one can create and ambiance of quiet, peace,
dignity and simple elegance through decors.
Key points to be considered by management or staff in setting the dining room
atmosphere:
Lighting: daylight or bright lighting is preferred for daytime meal service.
Subdued light is more appropriate for evening dining. Candle light can
enhance the mood foe evening dining but should not be used for daytime
events.
Views: tables should be set to best advantage of the views from the din-
ing room (subject to the limitations of space).
Music: background music maybe appropriate in establishing a mood. (In
dining rooms where music is played, special consideration must be given
to placement of tables.
Décor: décor must be consistent and create a harmonious atmosphere.
Colour selection plays an important part in the dining experience. Some
colours are warm, others are cold, some are romantic, others business-
like and so on.
Source:
Leonora D. Basbas. (19 Food and Beverage Service. Rex Printing Company, Inc.,
Metro Manila, Philippines. Copyright 2017. pp. 30-31.
Food and Beverage Services. Leonora D. Basbas. Rex Printing Company, Inc., Metro
Manila (Philippines), Copyright @ 2017. Pp. 53 – 59.
Food Service and Bartending. Roldan, [Link]. AR Skills Development and Management
Services, Metro Manila (Philippines), Copyright @ 2013. Pp. 153
SELF CHECK
After the undergoing the learning activities, the following checklist may be used.
Put a checkmark on the space corresponding to your response:
Some-
Action Never Often Always
times
1. Am I able to adjust the lights
according to the time of the day?
2. Are the tables, chairs and other
dining room furniture arranged to
ensure comfort and convenience of
the guests?
3. Is appropriate music played when
applicable?
4. Are the floors/carpets cleaned and
made sure are dry?
5. Am I able to adjust the air-condition
or cooling units for the comfort of the
guests?
6. Are the decorations set up according
to theme or concept of the dining
room?
FEEDBACK
Comments and suggestions from teacher and other trainees may be used as feedback to self-
check.
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Criterion Yes No
1. Lights are adjusted according to the time of
the day.
2. Tables, chairs and other dining room furniture
are arranged to ensure comfort and
convenience of the guests.
3. Appropriate music is played when applicable,
4. Floors/carpets are cleaned and made sure are
dry.
5. Air-condition or cooling units are adjusted for
the comfort of the guests.
6. Decorations are set up according to theme or
concept of the dining room.
SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
True or False. On the space provided before the item, write True if the
statement is true and False, if it is not.
_______ 1. Bright colours of red, orange and yellow make a dining place
fashionable.
_______ 2. Colour and design of furniture, table decors and accessories should
be different with each other.
_______ 3. Enough space should be provided for elbow and body movements
when walking along the aisles.
_______4. Views of walls and windows from the dining room add to the
ambiance of the place.
_______ 5. Amount of lighting should not hurt the eyes of the guests.
_______ 6. Ventilation need to be adjusted for those who come in coats or
sweaters.
_______ 7. Preparing the dining room includes the preparation of table
appointments.
_______ 8. Ambiance refers to the music played in the dining room.
_______ 9. The dining room is the show window of any food establishment.
_______10. Preparing the dining room is not as important as serving delicious
food.
Answer Key
1. True 2. False 3. True 4. False 5. True
[Link] 7. True 8. False 9. True 10. False