You open a menu and see “cover charge”, “set menu” or “250 g”? You are invited to a “buffet reception” and don’t know if there will be chairs? A friend says his café has a “high food cost”? This article is a simple dictionary: restaurant terms explained in plain, everyday words.
Who this article is for: restaurant and café guests, people who are just starting to work in hospitality, and anyone thinking about opening their own café. You don’t need any special knowledge — we explain every word as if you are hearing it for the first time.
How to use this dictionary of restaurant terms
- Looking for a specific word? Find it in the table of contents below and click it — the page will jump straight to the explanation. On a computer, you can also press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac) and type the word.
- Every term is explained the same way: first a short answer in simple words, then where the word comes from and some interesting facts, and finally a real-life example.
- Terms are grouped by situation: choosing a place, reading the menu, paying the bill, talking to the staff, and so on.
Table of contents
- Types of restaurants and cafés — HoReCa, restaurant, bistro, brasserie, casual dining, fine dining, fast casual, gastrobar, coffee shop
- Parties and events — catering, banquet, buffet reception, buffet
- Words on the menu — à la carte, set menu, business lunch, tasting menu, table d’hôte, brunch, signature cuisine, fusion, compliment from the chef, amuse-bouche, portion weight, stop list
- The bill: what you are paying for — cover charge, service charge, corkage fee, deposit, upselling
- Who works in a restaurant — host, maître d’, waiter, food runner, bartender, sommelier, barista, head chef, sous chef
- How the kitchen works — mise en place, prep, the pass, tech card
- Money and numbers (for people opening a place) — food cost, cost price, average check, table turnover
- Words people mix up most often
- Frequently asked questions
1. Types of restaurants and cafés
These words help you know what to expect before you go: expensive or cheap, fast or slow, with a waiter or without.
1. HoReCa
In simple words: HoReCa is a short name for all the places that feed and host guests: hotels, restaurants, cafés and bars.
This is the name for the whole industry that feeds people, serves them drinks and gives them a place to stay: hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars, coffee shops and catering. The word is made from the first letters of three words: Hotel, Restaurant and Café. Sometimes the last part is read as Catering.
The word comes from Europe: in the Netherlands and Belgium, “horeca” has long been an everyday word used in the news, in laws and in normal conversation. In English-speaking countries, people more often say hospitality industry. In Georgia and other countries of the region, you mostly hear “HoReCa” in business: from suppliers, distributors and at trade shows.
Suppliers even have a special phrase — the “HoReCa channel”. It means selling to restaurants and hotels, not to regular shoppers. For example, the same cheese can be sold in a supermarket in a small pack, and in the HoReCa channel in big blocks at a special price.
Example: a company sells coffee beans and coffee machines “for HoReCa” — this means its customers are not regular shoppers, but hotels, restaurants and coffee shops.
2. Restaurant
In simple words: A restaurant is a place where they cook food for you, a waiter brings it to your table, and at the end you pay the bill.
A place where food and drinks are made for you and, usually, served at your table: there is a menu, waiters and a full kitchen. This is the most general word — it can mean a cheap family place or a place where dinner costs several hundred lari.
The story of the word is interesting. In 18th-century France, “restaurant” first meant not a place, but a strong meat broth that “restores your strength” — in French, restaurer. Places that served this broth started to be called restaurants. This is how the first restaurants in the modern sense appeared in Paris in the second half of the 18th century: a guest sat at a separate table, chose dishes from a menu and paid the bill.
Before that, travellers usually ate at inns, where everyone got the same dish at one shared table. Being able to choose what you want to eat was a real novelty.
Example: you and your friends sit down at a table, the waiter brings the menu, takes your order, serves the dishes and brings the bill at the end.
3. Bistro
In simple words: A bistro is a small, inexpensive café with simple home-style food that is served quickly.
A small, cosy place with simple home-style food, fast service and fair prices. A classic French bistro has a few tables, a menu written in chalk on a board, a dish of the day, a glass of wine and a relaxed atmosphere.
There is a famous legend about this word. In 1814, Russian troops entered Paris, and Cossack soldiers in cafés supposedly shouted “Bystro! Bystro!” — Russian for “Quickly! Quickly!” — and that is where “bistro” came from. There is even a plaque about it in Montmartre, Paris. But most language experts don’t believe this story: the word only appears in French at the end of the 19th century, decades after the Russian troops left. So it is a nice story, but most likely not a true one.
Today, very different places call themselves “bistro” — from a simple canteen to a trendy café with a creative menu. So it is better to look at the menu and prices, not just the sign.
Example: you come in at lunchtime and order the soup of the day, a main course and a coffee. Everything arrives quickly, and in 30–40 minutes you are on your way.
4. Brasserie
In simple words: A brasserie is a big, lively French-style restaurant where you can eat at any time of day: from breakfast to dinner.
A French-style restaurant, usually bigger and louder than a bistro. A brasserie is open almost all day: you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner there. The food is filling and familiar: meat, sausages, sauerkraut, seafood, onion soup. And, of course, a big choice of drinks.
The word itself means “brewery” in French (brasser means “to brew beer”). That’s how it started: halls opened next to breweries where people could drink fresh beer and have a big meal. Many famous Paris brasseries of the 19th century were opened by people from Alsace — a region on the border with Germany with a long beer-brewing tradition. That’s why the classic brasserie menu has so many Alsatian dishes.
Today, beer is no longer a must, but the atmosphere is the same: a big hall, fast waiters, a long menu and no break in service during the day.
Example: in the morning people have coffee and a croissant at the brasserie, at lunch — steak and fries, and in the evening they come with friends for beer and snacks.
5. Casual dining
In simple words: Casual dining is a normal “everyday” restaurant: with waiters, an easy menu and average prices. You can come in jeans and bring the kids.
An “everyday” restaurant: there are waiters, comfortable tables, a calm atmosphere, a clear menu and mid-range prices. You can come in jeans, with children, or with friends after work — no special reason and no dress code needed.
Casual means “relaxed, everyday”, and dining means “having a meal”. This format sits right in the middle: it is more expensive and cosier than fast food, but simpler and cheaper than a high-end restaurant.
Most restaurant chains in the world work in this format. The menu usually has a bit of everything — salads, soups, pasta, burgers, steaks, desserts — so that everyone in the group can find something they like.
Example: a family comes for dinner: the parents order pasta and a salad, the child gets the kids’ menu, the waiter serves them at the table, and the bill has no unpleasant surprises.
6. Fine dining
In simple words: Fine dining is an expensive, high-end restaurant: complex dishes, beautiful plating, a quiet room and very attentive waiters.
A high-level restaurant. Every detail is thought through: complex creative dishes, beautiful plating, expensive tableware, a quiet dining room and attentive, well-trained staff. And, of course, high prices.
Fine here means “refined, elegant”. These restaurants often serve a tasting menu of many small dishes, with a wine chosen for each. Dinner can last two or three hours — it is more like an experience or an event than a normal meal.
The best-known rating for such restaurants is the Michelin stars. Interestingly, the Michelin Guide was created in 1900 by a French tyre company. It gave drivers a free booklet with maps and addresses of petrol stations, hotels and restaurants — so that people would drive more and change their tyres more often. Over time, the guide became the most respected restaurant rating in the world.
Example: you book a table a week ahead, at dinner you get 8 small dishes, each with its own glass of wine, and the waiter explains what each dish is made of and how it was cooked.
7. Fast casual
In simple words: Fast casual is a café where you order and pay at the counter, like in fast food, but the food is fresher and better than fast food.
Something between fast food and a regular restaurant. Like in fast food, you order and pay at the counter, and you get your food quickly. But, like in a restaurant, the ingredients are fresher, the dishes are more interesting and the place is cosier.
The name is made from two English phrases: fast food and casual dining. The format became popular in the USA in the 1990s and 2000s, when people wanted to eat fast — but not greasy burgers, rather something fresher and healthier.
Typical examples are places where they build a bowl, salad, burrito or poke in front of you: you point to the ingredients you want, and in a couple of minutes your dish is ready. Tipping is usually optional here — there are no real waiters.
Example: you go up to the counter and choose a base (rice or salad), a protein (chicken or tofu), vegetables and a sauce. Three minutes later you take your bowl and sit down.
8. Gastrobar
In simple words: A gastrobar is a bar where the food is as good as in a good restaurant: with your drinks you get interesting dishes, not just nuts and chips.
In a normal bar, drinks come first and the food is simple: croutons, chips, cold cuts. In a gastrobar, the food gets as much attention as the cocktails and wine. But the atmosphere is still a bar: louder music, a more relaxed setting, and many people sit right at the counter.
The word is made from two words: “gastronomy” and “bar”. A similar format in England is called a gastropub: a pub that serves restaurant-quality food. These places became popular in London in the 1990s.
Example: in the evening you and your friends drop in for a glass of wine, and the menu has not only a cheese plate, but also tartare, khinkali with an unusual filling and a warm salad.
9. Coffee shop
In simple words: A coffee shop is a small place where coffee is the main thing, served with desserts, pastries and light snacks.
A coffee shop usually doesn’t have a full kitchen with hot meals like a restaurant. You usually order at the counter from the barista, and you can take your drink with you. Many people come here not only for coffee, but also to work on a laptop or meet a friend.
How is a coffee shop different from a café? A café usually has a full food menu, while in a coffee shop food is just an extra to the coffee. Some of the world’s first coffee houses opened in Istanbul as early as the 16th century.
Example: in the morning you stop by a coffee shop, grab a cappuccino and a croissant to go, and head to work.
2. Parties and events
You will hear these words most often when you plan a wedding, a birthday, a company party or stay at a hotel.
10. Catering
In simple words: Catering is when a company cooks food and brings it to your event wherever it takes place: an office, a country house or a rented hall.
This is when a separate company cooks and delivers food for your event — and the party is not in a restaurant, but wherever suits you: in an office, at a country house, in a garden, on the beach, in a rented hall.
The word comes from the English to cater — “to provide food”. Catering can be very different. The simplest option: they bring ready snacks in containers, and that’s it. The full option: the company brings food, plates, tablecloths, tables, waiters and even a chef who cooks on site, and cleans everything up after the party.
Catering also includes things we rarely think about: meals on planes, lunches for staff in big offices, food on film sets and in schools. All of this is catering too — the food is cooked in one place and eaten in another.
Example: you celebrate your birthday at a country house. A catering company brings barbecue, salads, khachapuri and drinks, sets the tables, and in the evening takes away the dishes and the rubbish.
11. Banquet
In simple words: A banquet is a festive lunch or dinner where all the guests sit at tables, and waiters bring dishes from a menu chosen in advance.
A festive lunch or dinner where all the guests sit at laid tables, and the dishes are served from a menu agreed in advance. Usually every guest has their own seat, and waiters bring starters, mains and dessert in a set order.
The word comes from the Italian banchetto — “a small bench”. At old feasts, guests sat on long benches along shared tables, and over time the word came to mean the feast itself.
A good example of a banquet is the Georgian supra: a long table, lots of dishes, a tamada (toastmaster), toasts and guests who sit for hours. For weddings and anniversaries, a banquet is usually booked in advance: you agree with the restaurant on the number of guests, the menu, the drinks and the price per person.
Example: a wedding for 80 people: every guest has a name card at their seat, the waiters serve starters, then the main course, and at the end — the cake.
12. Buffet reception (standing reception)
In simple words: A buffet reception is a party where guests eat standing up: small snacks are on the tables, people help themselves and chat.
A party format where guests eat standing up. Small snacks that are easy to take with one hand are on the tables: canapés, tartlets, mini sandwiches, fruit. People take a snack, chat, walk around the room and meet each other. There are few chairs or none at all.
In Georgian and Russian this format is called “furshet”, from the French phrase à la fourchette — “on a fork”: you can take the food with a fork without sitting down. Interestingly, the French themselves don’t call it that — they say buffet or cocktail dînatoire. In English it is usually called a standing buffet, a buffet reception or a cocktail reception.
A buffet reception is convenient when talking matters more than eating: an exhibition opening, a presentation, a business meeting, networking. It is usually cheaper than a banquet and lasts 1–2 hours.
Example: at the opening of a new shop, guests walk around with glasses, take canapés from trays and talk to each other.
13. Buffet
In simple words: A buffet is when all the food is on shared tables, and everyone takes whatever they want and as much as they want.
A way of serving food where all the dishes are laid out on shared tables, and everyone chooses what and how much to put on their plate. Usually you pay one fixed price and can go back for more several times.
In Sweden, this kind of table is called smörgåsbord — literally “sandwich table”. It traditionally has lots of starters: herring, smoked fish, cheese, bread, meat dishes. In English it is simply called a buffet, while in Georgian and Russian it is called a “Swedish table” after the country.
You most often see a buffet at hotel breakfasts, in “all-inclusive” restaurants and at large events. The main rule of etiquette: take as much as you will eat — it is better to go back again than to leave a full plate.
Example: breakfast at a hotel: you take a plate and help yourself to an omelette, cheese, fresh vegetables, fruit and pastries, and get coffee from the coffee machine.
3. Words on the menu
These terms appear right on the menu and help you understand what exactly you are ordering and how much it will cost.
14. À la carte
In simple words: À la carte is a normal menu where every dish has its own price, and you pay only for what you order.
A normal menu where each dish has its own price, and you put together your own order. Want just a salad — pay just for the salad. Want three dishes — pay for three.
The French phrase à la carte means “from the card”, that is, “from the menu”: in France the menu is still often called la carte. The term is used to tell normal ordering apart from ready-made sets — a set menu, a business lunch or a tasting menu.
If a restaurant asks you to choose “the set or à la carte”, it means: you can take a ready set of dishes for one price, or order any dishes separately.
Example: you order a salad for 18 GEL and pasta for 25 GEL — the bill will be exactly 43 GEL for what you chose.
15. Set menu
In simple words: A set menu is a ready set of several dishes (for example, salad, soup and a main course) for one total price.
A ready set of several dishes for one total price. The restaurant has already decided which dishes are included, and you just choose the set. It is usually cheaper than ordering the same things separately.
The most familiar example is the business lunch: at lunchtime many places offer soup, a main course and a drink for a fixed price. This is good for the restaurant too: it knows in advance how many dishes to cook and brings in guests at lunchtime.
There are also sets for groups: for example, a “set for 4 people” with starters, meat and side dishes — handy when you don’t want to spend long choosing. You can’t always swap a dish in a set, so it’s best to ask the waiter.
Example: “Business lunch from 12:00 to 16:00: soup + main course + fruit drink — 20 GEL”. Ordered separately, the same dishes would cost about 28 GEL.
16. Business lunch
In simple words: A business lunch is a cheap lunch of several dishes for one price, served on weekdays during the day.
A business lunch usually includes a salad or soup, a main course and a drink, sometimes also bread or a small dessert. It is offered only at certain hours — most often on weekdays from about 12:00 to 16:00. It costs noticeably less than the same dishes from the normal menu, and it is served quickly so people can eat during their lunch break.
Similar names are “lunch special”, “menu of the day” or “set lunch”. The idea is the same: the restaurant decides in advance what to cook today, so it can lower the price. For the restaurant, it is a way to fill the room during the day, when there are usually fewer guests.
Example: the menu says “Business lunch 12:00–16:00 — 18 GEL: soup of the day, a main course of your choice, fruit drink”. You pay 18 lari for the whole lunch.
17. Tasting menu
In simple words: A tasting menu is many small dishes that the chef chose and brings one after another, so you can try the best of what the restaurant cooks.
A series of many small dishes chosen by the chef to show their cooking at its best. The dishes come one by one: the portions are small, but there are many of them — usually from 5 to 12 courses.
A tasting menu is more an experience than just dinner. Each dish is a little story: about the season, about local products, about an unusual mix of flavours. The waiter usually explains what you are eating and how it was made.
A tasting menu often comes with a “wine pairing”: a separate glass of wine chosen for each dish. Such a dinner can last 2–3 hours, so it’s best to plan it for a calm evening. If you have an allergy or don’t eat certain foods, mention it when you book.
Example: a 7-course dinner: first a tiny snack, then fish, soup, meat, cheese and two desserts. You get full not from the size of the portions, but from how many there are.
18. Table d’hôte
In simple words: Table d’hôte is a lunch or dinner for one fixed price, where for each course you can choose from 2–3 options.
A fixed-price menu with a small choice: for example, two or three options for the starter, main course and dessert. You pay one price for the whole lunch or dinner, no matter what you choose.
The French table d’hôte literally means “the host’s table”. In the past, at inns and guesthouses, travellers sat at a shared table with the host and ate whatever had been cooked that day, for a set price. You couldn’t choose dishes separately.
Today, table d’hôte is very similar to a set menu. The difference is that in a set the dishes are usually fixed, while in table d’hôte you can choose an option for each course. You often find this format at hotels and guesthouses for dinner.
Example: “Dinner for 45 GEL: starter of your choice — salad or soup; main course of your choice — fish, chicken or vegetable stew; dessert of the day”.
19. Brunch
In simple words: Brunch is a late breakfast combined with lunch. It usually happens at weekends, from morning to the middle of the day.
A late breakfast that slowly turns into lunch. It usually happens at weekends — roughly from 10–11 am to 3–4 pm, when you can sleep in and enjoy a slow meal with friends or family.
The word is made from two English words: breakfast and lunch. It is believed that it was first used by an Englishman, Guy Beringer, in 1895. He wrote an article suggesting that on Sundays, instead of an early heavy breakfast, people should have a late, light meal — especially those who had stayed up late on Saturday night.
A brunch menu usually mixes breakfast and lunch dishes: eggs in different styles, pancakes, cheese pancakes, avocado toast, salads, light hot dishes, coffee, fresh juices and sometimes sparkling wine.
Example: on Sunday at 12:00 you and a friend order eggs Benedict, cheese pancakes and cappuccinos and stay at the café for a couple of hours.
20. Signature cuisine
In simple words: Signature cuisine means dishes the chef invented, not cooked from a well-known recipe.
Dishes that the chef created, not just cooked from a classic recipe. You can see the chef’s personal style in them — their ideas, favourite products and combinations — like an artist’s signature on a painting.
Signature cuisine is the opposite of traditional cuisine. Traditional cuisine means dishes cooked the same way for generations: classic khinkali, borscht, paella. Signature cuisine is when a chef takes a familiar dish or product and does something new with it: changes the shape, the presentation, the mix of flavours.
On the menu, such dishes are sometimes marked as a signature dish. Often these are the dishes people come to the restaurant for: you can’t try them anywhere else.
Example: the chef serves Adjarian khachapuri not as the usual “boat”, but as small one-bite snacks — with the same taste of cheese, egg and butter.
21. Fusion
In simple words: Fusion is when cuisines from different countries are mixed in one dish or one menu, for example Japanese and Georgian.
Mixing cuisines from different countries in one dish or one menu. The chef takes a technique, a product or a flavour from one cuisine and combines it with another.
Fusion means “merging”. As a trend, fusion became popular in the 1970s–80s, especially in the USA, where chefs started mixing European and Asian cuisines. But in fact cuisines have always mixed — when people moved to other countries and cooked their usual dishes with local products. For example, in Peru, Japanese immigrants created a whole cuisine — Nikkei — where Japanese techniques met Peruvian products.
Good fusion is when the combination is unexpected but tasty and makes sense. Bad fusion is when everything is mixed just for show.
Example: rolls with sulguni cheese and smoked trout, tacos with meat and Georgian adjika, or ramen with tkemali sauce.
22. Compliment from the chef
In simple words: A compliment from the chef is a small free treat that the restaurant brings you on its own, even though you didn’t order it.
A small free treat from the restaurant that you didn’t order. It is a sign of care: the restaurant wants you to feel like a welcome guest.
A compliment can be many things: a small snack before dinner, bread with unusual butter, a shot of homemade liqueur after dinner, a sweet or a piece of dessert with the bill, a glass of sparkling wine for your birthday.
Sometimes a compliment is also a way to say sorry: for example, if you had to wait a long time for your dish. If you are not sure whether something they brought is free, just ask the waiter — that’s completely normal.
Example: while you wait for your order, the waiter brings a small plate of warm bread and says: “This is a compliment from the chef.”
23. Amuse-bouche
In simple words: An amuse-bouche is a tiny free one-bite snack served at the very start of dinner.
A tiny “one-bite” snack served at the very beginning of dinner, before the dishes you ordered arrive. It is one type of compliment from the chef.
The French amuse-bouche means “something to amuse the mouth”. Its job is to wake up your appetite and show the chef’s style — what’s coming next. That’s why chefs try to fit a bright flavour and beautiful presentation into one small bite.
Amuse-bouches are most often served in high-end (fine dining) restaurants, and they are usually free. You don’t choose it — the chef decides what to serve.
Example: before dinner, you are brought a porcelain spoon with a piece of smoked trout, a drop of sauce and herbs.
24. Portion weight
In simple words: Portion weight is how many grams the finished dish weighs. This number is written on the menu next to the dish name.
The weight of the finished portion in grams, written on the menu next to the dish. It helps you understand how big the portion is and compare dishes.
Sometimes the weight is written with a slash: “200/50” or “150/100/30”. This means the dish has several parts, and the weight of each is given: for example, meat, side dish and sauce. For drinks, the volume in millilitres is given.
The habit of writing the weight on the menu comes from Soviet canteens and restaurants, and many places in Georgia, Russia and other countries of the region still do it. In Europe and the USA, the weight is usually given only for steaks, not for other dishes.
Example: “Beef steak — 300/50 g”: 300 g is the meat itself, 50 g is the sauce. “Lemonade — 400 ml” is the volume of the drink.
25. Stop list
In simple words: A stop list is a list of dishes you can’t order today: the ingredients ran out or something couldn’t be prepared.
A list of dishes and drinks that can’t be ordered today: the ingredients ran out, a delivery didn’t arrive, the prep wasn’t ready in time, or the dish didn’t pass the quality check.
Before a shift, waiters check the stop list so they can warn guests right away and not take orders for things that aren’t available. In modern restaurants, the stop list is often kept right in the till (POS) system: a dish that isn’t available simply can’t be entered.
A short stop list is normal, especially in places that use fresh products: it’s better to honestly say “we’ve run out” than to serve something that isn’t fresh. But if the stop list is long every day, it’s a sign the place has problems with purchasing.
Example: the waiter says: “Sorry, the trout is on the stop list today, but I can offer you sea bream” — this means you can’t order the trout.
4. The bill: what you are paying for
These words help you understand where extra amounts on your bill come from.
26. Cover charge
In simple words: A cover charge is a fee per guest for setting your table: bread, cutlery, napkins. The word “cover” can also mean one place set at the table.
This word has two meanings. The first is the place setting for one guest: plates, cutlery, glasses and a napkin. When a restaurant says “set the table for 10 covers”, it means set the table for 10 people.
The second meaning is a fixed fee per guest that some places add to the bill. It usually covers bread, butter, the table setting and table service. The amount doesn’t depend on how much you order: every person at the table pays it.
The word comes from the French couvert — “covered, laid” (from couvrir — “to cover”). This fee is especially common in Italy, where it is called coperto, and in Portugal. The main rule: the place must tell you about the cover charge in advance — it is usually written on the menu in small print.
Example: the menu says “Cover charge — 5 GEL per guest”. If there are four of you at the table, the bill will have a line of +20 GEL, even if you only ordered coffee.
27. Service charge
In simple words: A service charge is a fee for service that the restaurant adds to your bill itself. It is usually a percentage of the order total.
A fee for service that the place adds to the bill itself. Most often it is a percentage of the order total, for example 10% or 15%. This is usually written at the bottom of the menu or on the first page.
It’s important to understand the difference between a service charge and a tip. The service charge is added by the restaurant and is already part of the bill. A tip is your personal “thank you” to the waiter, and you leave it if you want to. Where the service charge money goes — all to the staff, partly to the staff, or to the business — depends on the place.
In many restaurants in Georgia, a service charge is already included in the bill, so it’s worth checking the bottom lines before you pay. If the charge is already there, leaving a tip on top is your personal choice.
Example: you ordered 100 GEL worth of food, and at the bottom of the bill it says “Service charge 10% — 10 GEL”. The total to pay is 110 GEL.
28. Corkage fee
In simple words: A corkage fee is what a restaurant charges if you bring your own bottle of wine or other alcohol.
Restaurants also make money on drinks. If you bring your own wine, the waiter still opens the bottle, brings glasses and then washes them. The corkage fee is charged for this work, and because you didn’t buy wine from the restaurant. It is usually a fixed amount per bottle.
The word comes from cork. Not every place allows you to bring your own drinks: some don’t allow it at all, and some allow it for free. It’s best to ask when you book.
Example: you are celebrating a birthday and want to treat your friends to homemade wine. The restaurant allows it, but charges a corkage fee of 15 GEL per bottle. You brought three bottles — the bill will show 45 GEL.
29. Deposit
In simple words: A deposit is money you pay in advance to book a table or a hall. Later this money is counted towards your bill.
Restaurants ask for a deposit when they want to be sure guests will really come: on holidays, at weekends, when booking a banquet or a private room. Usually the deposit isn’t “lost”: if you order food and drinks for this amount or more, you just pay the difference.
Two things are important to know. If you order less than the deposit amount, the rest is usually not returned. And if you don’t come, the deposit usually stays with the restaurant. Sometimes instead of “deposit” people say “minimum spend” — the meaning is the same. Always check the conditions in advance.
Example: on New Year’s Eve, a restaurant asks for a deposit of 100 GEL per person. You book a table for four and pay 400 GEL. That night you order 460 GEL worth — you pay only 60 GEL more.
30. Upselling
In simple words: Upselling is when the waiter suggests something more expensive or offers to add something to your order, like a dessert.
When a staff member offers you a more expensive version of what you already chose, or suggests adding something to your order. It’s a common sales technique taught to waiters, baristas and cashiers all over the world.
Up-selling literally means “selling up”. It has a “relative” — cross-selling: when you are offered not something more expensive, but something extra. “Would you like a large coffee?” is upselling. “How about a dessert with your coffee?” is cross-selling.
Good upselling helps the guest too: the waiter suggests something that really makes the dinner better — for example, the right wine for your steak. Bad upselling is pushing things you don’t need. Either way, you can always calmly say no.
Example: you order a cappuccino, and the barista asks: “Make it large? Add syrup?” — and the coffee shop’s average check goes up.
5. Who works in a restaurant
Who greets you, who brings your food and who cooks it.
31. Host / hostess
In simple words: A host or hostess is the person who greets you at the entrance and takes you to your table.
The staff member who meets guests at the door. The host says hello, checks your booking, offers a free table, helps with your coat and walks you into the dining room. This is the first person you see in a restaurant — your first impression depends a lot on them.
Hostess means a woman who receives guests in her home. A man can do this job too — then he is called a host.
The host sees the whole room: which tables are free, where a table will free up soon, which waiters are busy right now. So the host seats guests in a way that nobody waits too long and the waiters aren’t overloaded. The host also usually answers the phone and takes bookings.
Example: you walk into a restaurant, the host asks: “Good evening! Do you have a reservation?” — finds your name on the list and takes you to a table by the window.
32. Maître d’
In simple words: The maître d’ is the person in charge of the dining room: they manage the waiters and solve any guest problems.
The head of the dining room — basically the manager of all guest service. The maître d’ makes sure everything runs smoothly: guests are seated on time, waiters work as a team, and orders arrive without delays. They also handle difficult situations: complaints, mistakes on the bill, special requests.
The word comes from the French maître d’hôtel — “master of the house”. Long ago, this was the name of the chief manager in a rich household, responsible for the servants and receiving guests. In restaurants, people usually just say “maître d'”.
In small cafés there may be no separate maître d’: their duties are done by an administrator or manager.
Example: a guest got the wrong dish and is unhappy. The maître d’ comes over, apologises, personally makes sure the dish is quickly replaced, and offers a dessert on the house.
33. Waiter / server
In simple words: A waiter is the staff member who takes your order, brings your food and drinks, and brings the bill at the end.
The waiter is the main person you talk to in a restaurant. They tell you about the menu, recommend dishes, pass your order to the kitchen and the bar, make sure you have everything you need on the table, and clear away empty plates. During an evening, one waiter may look after several tables at once.
The English word comes from “to wait” — in the old meaning “to serve, to attend to someone”. Today people also often say server, a word that works for both men and women. In big restaurants, waiters have helpers — food runners — who carry out the finished dishes, so the waiter has more time for guests.
Example: you sit down at a table, the waiter brings the menu and asks what you’d like to drink. A couple of minutes later they come back with the drinks and take your food order.
34. Food runner
In simple words: A food runner is the waiter’s helper who quickly brings finished dishes from the kitchen to the tables.
A waiter’s helper whose main job is to quickly carry finished dishes from the kitchen to the tables. Runner describes the job exactly: the runner is constantly moving between the kitchen and the dining room.
Why have a separate person? While the waiter takes orders, talks about dishes and handles payments, the food in the kitchen shouldn’t get cold. The runner picks it up from the pass as soon as it’s ready and brings it to you hot. Sometimes the runner also clears dirty dishes and helps set tables.
For many people, runner is their first job in a restaurant. This is how future waiters start: they learn their way around the room and memorise the menu and table numbers.
Example: one waiter took your order, but your main course was brought by a different person who named the dish and left right away — most likely, that was the runner.
35. Bartender
In simple words: A bartender is the person behind the bar who makes drinks: mixes cocktails and pours wine, beer and spirits.
The bartender makes drinks for the waiters’ orders and for guests sitting at the bar, and keeps track of bottles, ice and fruit. A good bartender also talks to guests and can suggest a drink to match your mood. A bartender who is especially skilled with cocktails and creates their own recipes is sometimes called a mixologist.
The word is simple: the person who “tends” (looks after) the bar. In British English you’ll also hear barman or barmaid. Don’t confuse a bartender with a barista: a barista makes coffee, while a bartender mainly makes cocktails and alcoholic drinks. In small places, one person often does both.
Example: you are sitting at the bar and ask for something refreshing without alcohol. In a couple of minutes, the bartender mixes a lemonade with mint and passion fruit.
36. Sommelier
In simple words: A sommelier is a wine expert who helps you choose a wine for your food and your budget.
A wine expert. The sommelier helps you choose wine for your dishes, your taste and your budget, tells you about the wines on the list, and opens and serves the bottle properly. The sommelier also usually creates the restaurant’s wine list and makes sure wine is stored correctly.
The word is French, and its history is surprising. In the Middle Ages, a sommelier was the person in charge of carrying supplies on pack animals. Over time, the word came to mean a servant responsible for food and wine at court, and later — a wine expert.
Becoming a top-level sommelier is very hard. Only a few hundred people in the whole world hold the title of Master Sommelier — the exam is considered one of the hardest in the industry. And in Georgia, where wine has been made for about 8,000 years, a sommelier can also tell you about qvevri — large clay vessels in which wine ferments underground.
Example: you tell the sommelier: “We’d like a red wine with meat, no more than 60 GEL”, and they suggest two or three options, for example a Saperavi from Kakheti.
37. Barista
In simple words: A barista is a person who makes coffee professionally: espresso, cappuccino, latte.
A specialist who makes coffee and coffee drinks: espresso, cappuccino, latte, flat white, filter coffee. A good barista knows about coffee bean types, roasting levels and grinding, and knows how to set up the coffee machine to make the coffee taste great.
The word is Italian. In Italy, a barista is simply the person behind the bar counter who makes all kinds of drinks. But around the world, “barista” has come to mean a coffee specialist.
The pictures on milk foam — hearts, leaves, swans — are called latte art. Barista competitions are held all over the world, including separate latte art championships.
Example: the barista makes you a cappuccino, pours the milk so a heart appears on the foam, and suggests you try a new bean from Ethiopia.
38. Head chef
In simple words: The head chef is the boss of the kitchen: they create the menu and manage all the cooks.
The main person in the kitchen. The head chef creates the menu and new dishes, decides which products to buy and from whom, checks the taste and quality of every plate, trains the cooks and manages the whole kitchen team.
The French chef means “head, boss”, and the full job title is chef de cuisine — “head of the kitchen”. The system most professional kitchens use was created at the end of the 19th century by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier. He divided the kitchen into stations, like an army: everyone has their own task, and there is one commander. That’s where the kitchen habit of answering the chef with a short “Yes, chef!” comes from.
The best-known symbol of a chef is the tall white hat. In small places, the chef often cooks at the stove alongside everyone else, while in big restaurants the chef manages more than cooks.
Example: the chef tries new seasonal products, creates a summer menu, and then spends a week teaching the cooks to make the new dishes the same way every time.
39. Sous chef
In simple words: A sous chef is the head chef’s deputy who runs the kitchen when the chef isn’t there.
The head chef’s deputy and right hand. When the chef is away — on a day off, on holiday or out buying products — the sous chef runs the kitchen fully.
The French sous means “under”, so a sous chef is literally “the one under the chef”. While the chef creates the menu and works on strategy, the sous chef often handles the daily work: makes the cooks’ schedules, checks the prep, checks dishes at the pass, and keeps the kitchen in order and clean.
Sous chef is usually the last step before becoming a head chef. Big restaurants may have several sous chefs.
Example: the chef has a day off, and tonight the restaurant is fully booked. In the morning the sous chef checks the prep, assigns cooks to their stations and stands at the pass all evening.
6. How the kitchen works
These words are useful if you are starting to work in a kitchen — or if you are simply curious about what happens behind the kitchen door.
40. Mise en place
In simple words: Mise en place is when a cook chops, prepares and puts everything in its place before work starts, so they can cook fast later.
A French phrase that means “everything in its place”. It is a rule: before work starts, the cook prepares and places within reach everything they will need — chopped vegetables, sauces, spices, pans, knives, towels.
Why is this needed? When 30 orders come in at once, a cook has no time to look for salt or chop onions. Everything must be ready in advance and stand where your hand finds it automatically. Then dishes come out fast and the same every time.
For many cooks, mise en place is not just a technique, but a way of life. It’s often recommended to people outside the kitchen too: before you start any task, prepare everything you need — and the work will go faster and calmer. This rule is useful at home as well: before cooking from a recipe, put all the ingredients out on the table.
Example: before the restaurant opens, the cook has chopped herbs, poured sauces into small containers, laid out spices and placed everything next to their stove in the same order as always.
41. Prep
In simple words: Prep is food that cooks prepare in advance (chop, boil, make sauces) so they can put a dish together quickly later.
Products and semi-finished items prepared in advance so a dish can be quickly put together when it’s ordered. It can be a cooked broth, marinated meat, chopped vegetables, a ready sauce, or dough for khachapuri.
Prep is short for preparation. Prep work is usually done in the morning or afternoon, before many guests arrive.
It’s important for prep to be fresh. That’s why in a good kitchen every container is labelled: what’s inside, when it was made and until when it can be used.
Example: in the morning the cooks make broth for the soup and marinate meat for the barbecue, so in the evening a dish takes 10 minutes to make, not 2 hours.
42. The pass
In simple words: The pass is the spot between the kitchen and the dining room where cooks put finished dishes and waiters pick them up.
The place on the border between the kitchen and the dining room where cooks put finished dishes and waiters take them. It is called the pass because the food is “passed” from the kitchen to the waiters here. Usually it is a long counter with special heat lamps above it: they keep the food warm until it is picked up.
The pass is a checkpoint. Here the head chef or sous chef looks at every plate: is the dish put together correctly, does it look nice, has it gone cold? If something is wrong, the plate goes back to the cook.
The pass is also where the team makes sure all the dishes for one table are ready at the same time — so you aren’t eating your main course while your friend is still waiting for theirs.
Example: the chef checks a plate at the pass, wipes a drop of sauce from the edge, and only then hands it to the waiter.
43. Tech card (standard recipe card)
In simple words: A tech card is an exact recipe for the kitchen: which products, how many grams and how to cook, so the dish always turns out the same.
A detailed recipe for a professional kitchen. It says which products are needed, how many grams of each, how to prepare and cook them, how to serve the dish, and what the final portion should weigh. In English-speaking kitchens it is usually called a standard recipe card; in Georgia and other countries of the region, people say “technological card” or just “tech card”.
Why is a tech card needed? So the dish turns out the same no matter who cooks it — the head chef, a new cook or a cook from another branch. A guest who comes for their favourite salad should get exactly the same taste as last time.
A tech card is also needed for calculations. Knowing the exact weight of each product, you can work out the cost price of the dish and its food cost, and also understand how many products to buy for the week.
Example: the salad tech card says: cucumbers — 80 g, tomatoes — 100 g, onion — 15 g, oil — 10 ml, salt — 2 g. Portion weight — 205 g. Thanks to this, the salad is the same every day.
7. Money and numbers (for people opening a place)
These terms will help if you are planning your own café or already running one. We explain everything with simple examples and calculations.
44. Food cost
In simple words: Food cost is what share of a dish’s price goes on ingredients. For example, a dish costs 20 lari and its ingredients cost 6 lari: the food cost is 30%.
What share of the menu price of a dish is made up by the ingredients it is made from. It is shown as a percentage. The lower the food cost, the more money the place keeps from every dish it sells.
How to calculate it: cost of the ingredients in the dish ÷ menu price of the dish × 100%.
A normal food cost for a restaurant is often said to be about 25–35%. But this isn’t a strict rule: coffee usually has a much lower food cost, and a steak made from expensive beef has a higher one. And remember: food cost counts only ingredients — rent, salaries, electricity, gas and taxes are not included.
Example: the ingredients for a pasta cost 8 GEL, and on the menu it costs 32 GEL. Calculation: 8 ÷ 32 × 100% = 25%. The pasta’s food cost is 25%: a quarter of the price is ingredients, and the rest goes on other costs and profit.
45. Cost price of a dish
In simple words: The cost price of a dish is how much money the restaurant really spends to make one portion.
How much it really costs the place to make one dish. People can mean different things by this: sometimes only the cost of the ingredients, and sometimes ingredients plus other costs: packaging, electricity, gas, the cooks’ work.
You need the cost price to set the right menu price. Without knowing it, you could accidentally sell a dish with almost no profit, or even at a loss. The easiest way to calculate the ingredient cost price is with a tech card: it shows the exact weight of each ingredient.
So when you discuss cost price with an accountant, supplier or partner, always check exactly what is included in it.
Example: the ingredients for a pasta cost 8 GEL, and a delivery box costs 1 GEL. The cost price for ingredients is 8 GEL, and with packaging — 9 GEL.
46. Average check
In simple words: The average check is how much one table (one bill) pays on average per visit.
How much one table (one bill) pays on average per visit. It is one of the most important numbers for any café or restaurant: it shows how much guests spend.
How to calculate it: total revenue for a period ÷ number of bills for the same period. Important: the average check is per bill, not per person. If four people at a table pay with one bill, that is one check. For the amount per person, there is a separate number — “spend per guest”.
You can raise the average check without raising prices: for example, if the waiter suggests a dessert with coffee or a wine with dinner (this is exactly upselling). That’s why owners watch this number closely.
Example: a café’s revenue for the day is 3,000 GEL, and 100 bills were made. Average check: 3,000 ÷ 100 = 30 GEL.
47. Table turnover
In simple words: Table turnover is how many different groups of guests sit at one table during lunch, an evening or a day.
How many times different groups of guests sit at one table during a certain time (lunch, evening, day). The higher the turnover, the more guests the place can serve without making the room bigger.
How to calculate it: number of groups served ÷ number of tables. For example, if 25 groups came to a café with 10 tables during an evening, the turnover is 2.5.
It varies a lot between formats. In fast food places and coffee shops, guests stay 15–30 minutes, and a table can change many times a day. In a fine dining restaurant, dinner lasts 2–3 hours, and only one or two groups may sit at a table in an evening — that’s one reason the prices are higher there.
Example: during one evening, three different groups had dinner at one table — the turnover of that table for the evening is 3.
8. Words people mix up most often
| Words | The difference in short |
|---|---|
| Buffet reception and buffet | A buffet reception is a party where people eat standing up. A buffet is when you take food yourself from shared tables. |
| Banquet and buffet reception | At a banquet, guests sit and waiters serve the food. At a buffet reception, guests stand and take snacks themselves. |
| Set menu and tasting menu | A set is a group of dishes for one price, to have a meal. A tasting menu is many small dishes, to get to know the chef’s cooking. |
| Compliment and amuse-bouche | A compliment is any free treat. An amuse-bouche is one specific kind: a tiny snack before dinner. |
| Cover charge, service charge and tips | A cover charge is a fixed amount per guest. A service charge is a percentage of the bill added by the restaurant. A tip is up to you. |
| Barista and bartender | A barista makes coffee. A bartender makes cocktails and other drinks. |
| Food cost and cost price | Food cost is the share of ingredients in a dish’s price (in %). Cost price is how much it costs to make a dish (in lari), sometimes including other expenses. |
| Average check and spend per guest | The average check is per bill. Spend per guest is per person. |
9. Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay the cover charge and service charge?
If they are written on the menu or you were told about them in advance, they are usually part of the bill. If the bill shows an amount you weren’t told about, politely ask the waiter or the maître d’ what this charge is.
Do I need to tip if there is a service charge?
That’s up to you. The service charge is added by the restaurant, while a tip is your personal “thank you” to the waiter. If you are not sure whether the service charge goes to the staff, you can ask.
Is the compliment from the chef really free?
Yes, a compliment is a treat on the house. If you have doubts, just ask the waiter before you eat it.
What do numbers like “200/50” on the menu mean?
This is the portion weight — the weight of the portion in grams. The first number is usually the main part of the dish, the second is the sauce or side dish.
What is the difference between a buffet reception and a banquet if I’m organising a party?
At a banquet, guests sit and are served full dishes. At a buffet reception, guests stand and eat light snacks. A banquet is usually more filling and more expensive; a buffet reception is simpler and better for socialising.
I’m opening a café. Which terms should I learn first?
Start with the “Money and numbers” section: food cost, cost price and average check. Then the tech card and the stop list: they help you keep the kitchen in order.