Front of House vs Back of House: How Smart Restaurant Teams Stay in Sync

Any restaurant owner who’s worked a busy Saturday night knows this: if the front of house vs back of house isn’t in sync, everyone feels it. Guests wait too long, the dining room gets backed up, and the kitchen’s tickets pile higher than the food window can handle.

The truth? Great food alone doesn’t make a great restaurant. In the hospitality industry, a flawless shift depends on how well your house staff, from food runners and wait staff to the line cooks and sous chef, communicate and work together.

Let’s break down front-of-house vs. back-of-house responsibilities, where they overlap, and how smart restaurant management teams keep both sides operating as one.

What Is Front of House vs Back of House?

The front of house (FOH) is every space and task that touches the guest experience directly. It includes the hostess station, waiting area, dining room, and outdoor seating. FOH staff, hosts, servers, bartenders, and food runners, are the face of the operation. They greet customers, explain specials with solid menu knowledge, and own tables from the first drink order to the last check drop.

The back of house (BOH) covers the operational side, everything guests don’t see. The kitchen, food storage areas, prep stations, and dish pit all fall under BOH staff. Your line cooks work the cooking lines, the grill cook sears steaks, the fry cook cranks out crispy apps, and the pastry chef or sous chef ensures desserts leave the kitchen window looking picture-perfect. The executive chef or head chef is often the most senior member of the BOH, creating menus, monitoring food safety, and making sure every hot food plate meets the restaurant’s standards.

Both FOH and BOH share one goal: deliver a seamless, unforgettable dining experience.

Why FOH and BOH Need Each Other

Too many operators treat the restaurant front and back like separate worlds. The reality? The best restaurants are powered by one aligned house team.

A general manager or house manager sets the tone by making sure every house employee understands how their role affects the other side. That might mean assigning minor kitchen tasks to FOH (like filling water glasses or garnishing plates) or having BOH prep for outdoor dining areas by organizing shareable apps or pre-mixed cocktails.

When FOH and BOH staff respect each other’s workloads, customer complaints drop, service runs smoother, and dining revenue climbs.

Front of House vs Back of House: Key Responsibilities

Here’s a quick look at who does what:

Front of House (FOH)Back of House (BOH)
Greet customers at the hostess station and manage the waiting areaHandle food preparation and manage cooking lines
Take orders, recommend food pairings, and deliver a consistent guest experienceMaintain food safety, monitor food storage, and keep prep stations organized
Own tables from start to finish, ensuring fast service and proper table servicePlate and send dishes promptly through the kitchen window
Keep the dining room and outdoor furniture clean and readyWash dirty dishes and support FOH during peak hours with fast ticket execution
Work with the house manager and general manager to solve customer complaints fastSupport FOH with accurate plating, timing, and minor kitchen tasks for high-turnover areas

Where FOH and BOH Work Together Most

FOH and BOH don’t just intersect at the kitchen window—true collaboration happens all shift long:

  • Pre-Shift Communication: General managers and kitchen managers hold quick meetings to update the entire staff on specials, 86’d items, or VIP guests.
  • Outdoor Seating: Wait staff moves quickly between the dining room and outdoor seating, while BOH preps for higher volume by streamlining apps and sauces for faster plating.
  • Food Runners & Line Cooks: A good food runner builds trust with line cooks, verifying plate accuracy before leaving the pass.
  • Staff Meal: A shared staff meal builds respect between FOH and BOH, reminding everyone they’re one service team.

The best operators know that when FOH understands BOH pressure (and vice versa), small issues, late apps, and swapped orders get solved before the guest even notices.

House Operations and Layout Matter

The physical flow of house operations can make or break a shift. Smart house locations, placing the kitchen window near the dining room or keeping the waiting area clear of servers on the run, save steps and stress.

Tech matters, too. Kitchen display systems, POS integrations, and live ticket updates let house staff focus on serving guests instead of chasing paper tickets.

Running a Strong House Team

Whether you’re a restaurant owner, a head chef, or a house manager, your job is to keep FOH and BOH running as one service team. That means:

  • Training new employees thoroughly in the restaurant’s operations
  • Cross-training where possible (servers learn basic food preparation; BOH understands FOH timing pressures)
  • Building respect with clear communication, daily feedback loops, and shared goals

When front of house vs back of house stops feeling like “us vs. them,” you don’t just run a tighter shift, you build a better restaurant business.

Streamline FOH and BOH with SynergySuite

Guests don’t care if a mistake started in the kitchen or dining room; they just want a seamless dining experience. SynergySuite provides restaurant staff with the tools to maintain tight house operations, including scheduling, inventory management, food safety, and labor tracking, all in one platform.

Book a demo to see how we help FOH and BOH operate like one unbeatable house team.

Leveraging Technology to Manage Restaurant Labor Costs Whitepaper cover image
Whitepaper

Leverage Technology to Manage Restaurant Labor Costs

Between increased costs, labor shortages, and socio-economic complexities - staying on top of labor costs is more important than ever for franchise owners.

Download the Whitepaper

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get freshly prepared content served to your inbox on a regular basis.

See what's on our menu

Schedule a demo of our restaurant management system today to discover which features and modules will work best for your business.