Guest Check Books for Restaurants, Cafes, and Hospitality Businesses

Are you hoping to improve communication between kitchen and front-of-house staff? Looking for a more effective way to keep your restaurant, cafe, diner, or food truck organized? Take food and drink ordering back to basics with guest check books!

Discover a range of high-quality restaurant guest checks from leading food service brands, including AmerCareRoyal, Adams, and National Checking Company that feature handy menu prompts and table diagrams for efficient service.

We know that hospitality business owners and managers are often rushed off their feet. That's why, at BuyDirect, you can stock up on affordable table service supplies in bulk, giving you more time to focus on what really matters – maintaining 5-star customer service.

What Are Guest Check Books?

Guest checks are a tool used to take food and beverage orders at restaurants and cafes. These forms come as individual pieces of paper on a pad and are usually kept in a server's apron alongside writing supplies, bottle openers, and other food service equipment.

Once an order has been taken, the server can then rip the guest check straight off the pad and pass it through to the kitchen, which helps to keep the ordering process as efficient and organized as possible.

Some of the most common features you'll find in our range of guest books include:

Menu Prompts: These are abbreviations that appear at the top of a guest check, such as APPT (appetizer) and BEV (beverage). They work as reminders for staff to ask customers if they'd like to order particular items, while also helping the kitchen to time each course perfectly.

Table Diagrams: These square, round, and rectangular diagrams are usually positioned at the top of the check and represent tables in the restaurant. They also feature pivot points, numbers surrounding the tables to match each guest's order with the seats they're sitting in, so there's no need to interrupt any conversations.

Beverage Backer: Many guest checks have a page on the reverse side to list drinks orders, which prevents the front page from becoming overcrowded. Numbered lines that correspond to table seats make it easy for a server to see which guest has ordered which drink.

Check Number: Check numbers offer several benefits for maintaining an organized meal service, including tracking guests' orders, keeping on top of inventory, and helping you monitor cash flow throughout the day.

Receipt Stub: With easy-tear perforated pages, receipt stubs can be given to each customer for easy tracking of orders coming from the kitchen. They include spaces for the number of guests, date, and total amount to pay.

Why Use Guest Checks?

If you've ever run or worked a front-of-house shift, you'll know how hectic service in a restaurant, cafe, or bar can get. With new guests to be seated and tables to be waited on, it's pretty easy for orders to get lost or confused, which is why organization is crucial for ensuring a smooth service.

As a key organizational tool, here are 3 benefits of kitting your restaurant out with guest checks:

1. Easy Ordering System

While many modern restaurants are kitted out with POS and other systems that are designed to digitize ordering, these technologies can be pretty daunting for those new to the job. Using just paper and a pen simplifies the process, meaning that orders are less likely to get confused.

Plus, staff won't have to rely on memory for those small details, such as adding ice to a drink or switching salad for fries.

2. Cost Efficient

Buying guest check pads in bulk from BuyDirect delivers plenty of cost savings, particularly with our exclusive 20% off deal for new customers! Digital systems are also a significant and costly investment, which may be unaffordable for small, new, or independent businesses.

3. Great Customer Service

Quality restaurant guest checks deliver features such as pivot points, abbreviations, and menu prompts to ensure servers properly input order details. This helps to avoid those small mistakes that can make a big difference to your business's reputation, such as serving the wrong food or needing to double-check an order.

Having a guest check to hand also allows customers to see exactly what they ordered before paying, which adds an element of trust and transparency to your service.

How to Choose the Right Guest Check Books for Your Restaurant

Wondering which guest check book will be best for your hospitality business? Considering these factors when browsing out check book range:

Size – Guest check books come in a range of sizes, from 3.5" x 5.5" all the way up to 4.25" x 9". If you're unsure of which size will be best, go for a larger pad to ensure that your servers have plenty of space.

Pack Size – If you're a large hospitality business or are simply coming into a busier period, you'll benefit from pack sizes as big as 2500 units here at BuyDirect.

Color – Try to choose a check book that fits in with the theme of your restaurant. This will not only portray a professional image, but ensure that your branding remains memorable to loyal customers.

Number of Copies – Multi-copy guest checks like the AmerCareRoyal Carbonless Duplicate feature 2 or 3 pieces of paper. When a server writes on the first piece, the ink transfers to the other pages, which can then be sent to the kitchen.

Single-copy checks such as this one from the National Checking Company are ideal for restaurants where servers must send orders through to the kitchen through a POS system.

FAQs

What is the Purpose of Guest Checks?

Cafe and restaurant guest checks are used to help servers quickly and effectively take orders from guests, with features such as menu prompts and pivot points. They also keep orders organized to ensure that they don't get lost when being transferred to the kitchen, while also allowing managers to keep track of inventory and cash flow.

How Many Checks Come in a Book?

Generally, each guest check book comes with around 100 to 150 checks, but this will vary depending on the manufacturer that you choose. At BuyDirect, some of our leading brands offer packages that come with just 8 guest check books, while with others you can order up to 2500 units!

What is the Difference Between a Guest Receipt and a Check?

Guest checks are used by servers to record the items ordered by customers in a restaurant, cafe, or bar. With carbon paper guest check books, customers may also receive a copy as part of the billing process so that they can see exactly what they've ordered before paying. Receipts provide evidence of the completed transaction after customers have paid.