When clearing entrée courses, when should you clear as a team?

• A. Individually
• B. Together, unless a guest has asked you to remove a plate or pushed it to the side with a napkin on top
• C. After dessert
• D. After drinks

Answer: (B)

Coordinated clearing during a course keeps the table’s rhythm clean and elegant. When entrées are cleared as a team, the service presents a unified, smooth pace so guests experience a seamless progression rather than a bunch of individual trips around the table. It also signals that the kitchen and service are in sync, which enhances the impression of precision and care.

There’s a helpful nuance: if a guest indicates a specific plate should be removed—by asking you to take it away—or if they nudge the plate to the side with a napkin on top, you should honor that cue and clear accordingly. In that moment, adjust the sequence but otherwise maintain the team approach for the rest of the course.

Clearing after dessert would delay the flow to the next course and disrupt pacing, while clearing after drinks would break the established sequence of service, interrupting the progression of courses.