Buffet Set-Up

To help plan a buffet set-up, use the following tips:
• Make guests as comfortable as possible while eating. Provide   small tables or a tray if the food plate will be held on a person’s lap.
• To avoid congestion in a small room, start the line so guests finish at the door and can easily leave the room.
• Unless the dining room is very large, it may be best to remove all the chairs and push the serving table near the wall. If it is not convenient to move the table, the dishes may be arranged so they are accessible from both sides of the table.
• Include a centerpiece that emphasizes the occasion for the buffet.
• If a hot beverage is being served, place the equipment on a tray at one end of the table or on a side table.
• Heavier foods, such as soup or a casserole, should be placed at the other end of the table.
The diagrams below show typical buffet set-ups. One illustrates a reception type buffet; the other a dinner buffet. Common sense and convenience are the best guides to setting up buffet tables.
• Begin at one end with plates, then move on in order (from hot to cold) to the main dish, vegetables, salads, condiments.
• Flatware and napkins are last to allow guests free hands to serve themselves.
• Allow space for a guest to put their plate down if two hands are needed to serve themselves a food, such as a salad.
• If space is a premium, beverages and/or desserts can be served away from the main buffet tables.
  
 
Examples buffet set-ups for reception and dinner.