New Zealand Front of House Vocabulary Guide

A vocabulary list focused on English terminology for restaurant service staff in a New Zealand context, covering operations, menu items, and local slang.

Front of House (FOH)

The guest-facing area of a restaurant and the department responsible for serving customers.

Back of House (BOH)

The background areas of a restaurant, primarily referring to the kitchen department.

Pass

The designated area in the kitchen where the server picks up prepared food.

Section

A specific group of tables assigned to a particular server for their shift.

Roster

A work schedule or document outlining planned shifts for staff.

Briefing

A meeting held before a shift to provide instructions and updates to the team.

Covers

A term referring to individual place settings or the total number of guests served.

Walk-in

A guest who arrives at the restaurant seeking a table without a prior reservation.

No-show

A guest who has made a booking but fails to arrive for their scheduled time.

Table turnover

The process of clearing and resetting a table so it can be sold to new guests.

Amuse-bouche

A small, complimentary bite-sized appetizer provided by the chef at the start of a meal.

Signature dish

A unique or characteristic menu item that the restaurant is best known for.

Eye fillet

A specific cut of beef, also referred to as a fillet.

Pua

A type of sea snail or abalone native to New-Zealand.

Kumara

A term commonly used in New-Zealand for sweet potato.

Green-lipped mussel

A variety of mussel specific to New-Zealand, often identified by the green edge on its shell.

Sous-vide

A cooking technique where food is prepared in a vacuum at a precisely controlled temperature.

Blue / Blue rare

A steak doneness level where the meat is seared on the outside but remains almost entirely raw inside.

Cross-contamination

The accidental transfer of allergens or bacteria from one food item or surface to another.

POS system

A computerized point-of-sale system used for entering orders and processing payments.

Fire the mains

A kitchen communication instruction to begin cooking the guests' main courses.

On the fly

A term used to indicate that an order or item must be prepared immediately and urgently.

Hot behind

A safety warning used by staff when moving behind a colleague while carrying hot items.

Long black

A coffee made by pouring a double espresso over hot water.

Flat white

A coffee style native to New-Zealand and Australia, made with espresso and fine steamed milk.

Trim milk

A New-Zealand term used for low-fat or skim milk.

EFTPOS

The standard bank card payment system utilized throughout New-Zealand.

PayWave

A common term used for contactless card payments.

Public holiday surcharge

An additional fee applied to a bill on public holidays.

Kia ora

A Maori word used for greeting or expressing thanks.