Try to start thinking about your guests having a seamless dining experience.

What you need to prepare for appetizers coming out will vary restaurant to restaurant, but try to start thinking about your guests having a seamless dining experience. That is it flows from one stage to the next without interruption.

They order an appetizer, receive it, and can immediately begin enjoying it. They finish it, plates are cleared, silverware replaced, drinks refilled, etc., entrees come shortly thereafter, and they can 'seamlessly' begin enjoying their entrees.

Make sense?

If my guests' appetizer comes out to their table, but they don't have little plates, silverware, and whatever is necessary for them to start on it... that's not seamless.

Another topic in this video is about having a sense of immediacy and taking advantage of opportunities to complete tasks. You just can’t predict what’s going to be happening 5 minutes from now in a restaurant. So if you have the chance to get something done, get it done regardless of its level of urgency.