Wheel, Expo, Runner
I’d like to introduce y’all to the three true unsung heros of the restaurant. Their job titles are the wheel, expo, and food runner.
The server enters the table’s order. These three folk are on it. The wheel tells each cooking station (4 stations total) how much of which type of food to cook. They follow up to make sure all is in order. The wheel then gets the prepared food from the different cooking stations and places them in the window.
Now it’s the expo’s turn. Usually, a manager is the expo person. They organize the food, get the necessary garnishes, double checks the orders, and then sends them out.
I’m making this sound very easy but let me assure you it’s not. Just the other day, I needed a salad with specific modifications. Had to return and speak with expo. The expo person had to deal with me, another server request, a wheel’s question, and still manage the dozen or so orders during lunch rush. Not easy.
The food runner gets the food out to the tables. Can’t drop the food. Can’t slam it down on the table. No wincing in pain because of the very hot plates. And you’ve gotta get to the correct table. And assist servers when you can.
These three folks are the glue of the restaurant. One of them missing makes for a challenging time when things are busy.
