The expediter (or expo) is the person who coordinates dishes going out at the pass (the counter where the kitchen “passes” food to the floor). It’s the control point of service: reading tickets, syncing the timing of different stations, checking every dish is correct and complete before it’s sent out.
The pass is the physical boundary between kitchen and floor; the expediter is the voice that governs it, deciding what goes out and when, so dishes for the same table leave together and at the right temperature.
Why it’s crucial at peak
At full capacity, without control at the pass service falls apart: dishes going out uncoordinated, tables half-served, lost tickets. The expediter keeps the rhythm.
Today the role is often supported by a KDS, which digitises tickets instead of paper, and leans on careful mise en place and the pre-shift briefing. Here’s how front-of-house and back-of-house communication works.
Frequently asked questions
- What does an expediter do in a restaurant?
- Coordinates dishes at the pass: reads tickets, syncs station timing, checks dish quality and completeness, and decides what goes out and when, so tables are served in a coordinated way.
- What is the pass in a kitchen?
- The counter (often heated) where the kitchen 'passes' finished dishes to the floor: the meeting point between kitchen and floor brigades, governed by the expediter.