If you've ever been to a restaurant with a group of people and wondered how all of your food arrived at the same time — even though you asked for the and your friend ordered the – the answer isn't magic. You can thank the restaurant's expo, or expediter, for that timely food delivery system. The expediter is the crucial link between the front of the house (aka the dining room) and the back of the house (aka the kitchen) in most restaurant settings.
Without them, there would be no guarantee that dishes would arrive in a timely manner. The expediter has many responsibilities in the kitchen, and they must be someone who has the experience and determination to put up with a high-pressure environment. To sum it up, they're the air traffic controller of the restaurant's airport, the ringmaster of the restaurant's circus.
The expediter orchestrates the show, which in this case is the restaurant's system and processes for getting orders to the kitchen and food out to guests. They communicate what cooks need to make, coordinate the timing of dishes, oversee the accuracy of anything the staff prepares, and maintain quality control of all items that leave the kitchen. Without an expediter's expertise, even the most skilled kitchen would fall into disarray.
Understanding the expo's role in a kitchen Due to the demanding nature of the role, the expediter is often a chef or sous chef, though in smaller operations, the position might go to the line cook stationed closest to where ticket.
