Waffle House uses the Pull/Drop/Mark system.
On your mark-- first all sales associates are instructed to stand on the mark when they call their order.. The mark is usually is a red tile surrounded by grey tiles. This helps insure that only one sales associate is calling an order at a time. It also lets the grill operator know where to listen for orders being called.
Pull all your meat for the entire order. Sales associate says PULL
1 bacon
2 Sausage
1 Chicken
1 Ribeye
The sales associate then watches as the grill operator pulls the meat to double check that the grill operator heard the call correctly
Things to know when caller your pull.
1 bacon = 3 slices
1/2 bacon = 2 slices
1 sausage = 2 sausage patty's
1/2 sausage = 1 sausage patty
1 pork chop = 2 pork chops
1/2 pork chop = 1 pork chop
If you need 3 half bacon's (six slices) you would say Pull 2 bacon (six slices) you would not say Pull 3 half bacon; All calling is called in the simplest most organized way.
Drop the hashbrowns- Sales Associate after all the meat is pulled calls all the hashbrowns needed for the order says DROP 4 hashbrowns make 3 in a ring. If the customer has not requested that hashbrowns have a topping or not specifically requested that they be scattered, the hashbrowns go in a ring. In the example I used above 3 of the hashbrowns are plain. One has either a topping or the customer requested the hashbrowns be scattered. Please note that you to not call toppings for hashbrowns during calling the drop. Also you would never call DROP 4 hasbrowns make 2 scattered, always default too make X in a ring. If a sales associate does not call the hashbrowns in a ring the assumption is the hashbrowns are scattered.
Again, the sales associate watches the grill operator as he drops the hashbrowns to confirm the grill operated has dropped the right number of hashbrowns and they are in either in a ring or scattered.
Mark the plate - Once the sales associate has the hashbrowns squared away. They would call the mark. As the sales associate calls the mark, the grill operator marks his plates with jelly packets, mayo packets, ketchup packets etc. What packet the grill operator places on a plate and where and which side of packet is facing up or down is the grill operator way of remembering what the order is. What the sales associate is doing as they call the mark is saying how the meat (the pull), hasbrowns (the drop), the eggs, the toast go on each plate.
Things to know
Eggs
Single = 1 egg
Order = 2 egg
Triple = 3 egg
Hashbrowns are called a plate. As example if the customer wants two eggs with hashbrowns the sales associate would call.
Mark Order scrambled plate.
If the customer wants two eggs scrambled with grits the sales associate would call
Mark order scrambled.
Why? All breakfast orders default to grits.
If the customer wants two eggs scrambled with no hashbrowns or grits. The sales associate would call.
Mark order scrambled hold the grits.
Always call your waffles last As example.\
Bacon Quarter Cheese plate (bacon cheeseburger with hashbrowns)
Order over medium (two eggs over medium with grits)
Triple scrambled plate (three eggs scrambled with hashbrowns)
Waffle.
More things to know...
If customer wants lettuce tomato onions on their burger its is called deluxe. As example.
Quarter Cheese deluxe.
And if they want hashbrowns with it?
Quarter cheese deluxe plate.
And if they want large hashbrowns
Quarter cheese deluxe double plate.
What if two people are at a table and one wants a quarter cheese with lettuce tomatoes and onions (deluxe) and the other wants a quarter cheese deluxe with a large hashbrowns.
Mark quarter cheese deluxe on two make one a double plate (large hashbrowns).
Hopefully this blog was helpful to you if you are just starting at Waffle House, there is very little I can find on the Internet about how to call Waffle House orders. Or perhaps you are just curious as to how Waffle House works, it is a very antiquated system, but like music pouring off your lips, once you know the lingo. This is by no means all there is too know about calling Waffle House orders, but it does give you the structure of how to call orders at Waffle House. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at winking_owl@hushmail.com
Ryan Dean
