Working in restaurants throughout undergrad and grad school, I have learned a thing or two when it comes to the lingo. Kitchens are fast-paced places to be, and you need to know whats going on in order to keep up.
So this goes out to all you servers, expo-ers and hostesses alike: things you'll only understand if you've worked in the service industry.
1. "86 _____!!!"
This is an urgent message, as it means we are 100% OUT of something. When something's been 86-ed, you'll hear people repeating it like a game of telephone just to make sure everyone knows. Because hell hath no fury like a chef who gets an order rung in for something he just said was 86-ed!
2. "Sell table ___!"
Meaning that a server has a table's order on hold, and now its ready to be processed in the kitchen.
3. "On the fly!"
This means drop whatever you're doing because we need it NOW. Table for two on the fly essentially means, "THEIR RESERVATION GOT MESSED UP, AND WE NEED A TABLE RIGHT NOW."
4. When you say to a table "hot plates coming in," but they DON'T PAY ATTENTION, AND YOUR HAND BURNS OFF.
When you finally do put the plate down and they inevitably touch it anyway, and go "oh, thats hot!" You don't say...
5. "Send to expo!"
The expo-er is the one who moves the food down the line in the kitchen. They make sure the food is on the tray for the right seat and has all finishing garnishes and any side items you need. They basically make sure everything is perfect for your table.
6. "In the weeds."
When the restaurant is CRAZY BUSY and you have to multitask like nobody's business. Also you may be on fire.
7. "Weekend"
That's cute, boo. You work at a restaurant, which means your busiest work days are Friday and Saturday.
8. Family
This rag-tag group of servers, kitchen staff and hostesses become your family before your eyes. And sure, you may lovingly refer to each other as, "dumb ass," "shit head" and "ass hole" at least 18 times a shift. But much like a real family, if anyone else messes with you, your new family will chase them out into the parking lot for you. #wearefamily
