Restaurant Dessert Rush

Most of your family style restaurants have certain time periods known to the waitstaff as dessert rushes. If you're waiting tables in one of these diners that is near a movie theatre or a popular shopping center or mall, you likely know what this is all about. Most servers dread these rushes but there's real money to be made here with the right attitude.

These rushes are usually short. Often you can make almost as much from one of these tables (especially a 2 seater) as you could if they were eating dinner. Unfortunately a lot of waiters and waitresses just don't like these rushes. That's a bad attitude and if that sounds like you consider adjusting it now! The biggest reason servers dislike these rushes is because THEY have to make the desserts! Poor them! Seriously, that's a pathetic reason. Dessert customers are going to come in anyways so take advantage of it. And there are truly advantages to these dessert rushes.

Perhaps the greatest advantage is the quick turn over. You do not have to pamper these folks much. You make the dessert, serve it and that's usually about it other than a coffee refill or two. The tip is usually far more than the standard 15% of the bill and the length of stay is easily half that of someone eating dinner. There are basically two goals for this type of customer. Speed and presentation.

Let's talk about speed. That's pretty easy. Just learn the desserts and what goes in them without having to look it up or ask for help. Most customers will order drinks. Get those and your silverware and napkins first and when you come back try to take the order. Ok, basic common sense there but the key is to take those two steps. Don't wait for them to make up their minds and try taking the drinks and dessert order together. Get the drinks then you have a better chance of getting the order and your customers will not feel rushed.

Now comes the fun part. Making the desserts! You want to make this as easy as possible. For waitresses, it can be almost painful digging out the rock hard ice cream. Even us guys can have a tough time with it. Have a small container of hot water for the scoop or at least run it under the hot water before scooping if you have trouble. Keep two scoops in the hot water if you can. Use one for a scoop or two, then switch to the hot one. This will help you with your first and in a lot of cases, toughest step out of the process of dessert making.

Now comes the presentation. After you've added the syrup, nuts or whatever else the dessert entails, it's time to add the finishing touch...whipped cream! Most desserts will use whip. This is what can make or break you. Don't just spray a blob of whipped cream on it. Learn to form a circular motion from the bottom at the widest point. Now you want to swirl around and around covering everything and forming a point, or peaked mountain top. Take that cherry and plop it right on top. Take a little spoonful of cherry juice and drizzle it over the top so it runs down the sides of the whip a little. Now get that thing out there ASAP so it looks fantastic!

You will be surprised how happy customers are when you present them with a really nice looking dessert! It takes alittle practice with the whip to stand out from the ordinary others but you can do it. Most servers just don't think about it. They just "plop" it on and try to "get it over with" not realizing this isn't very difficult and how it can improve tips! Embrace the dessert rush, be good at it and you will profit from it!