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 Professional kitchen terminology used by chefs or expeditors to signal that completed dishes are ready for service staff to transport from the pass to the dining room; essential communication protocol ensuring efficient food delivery.

In professional kitchen lingo, a chef or expeditor calling for "hands" means that the food for a table has arrived at the pass from the cooks and is ready to be sent to the dining room. This call initiates a structured communication sequence that ensures accurate food delivery and maintains service flow efficiency.

From there, any available front-of-house personnel in the kitchen respond with "hands, chef" and step forward to receive delivery instructions. This verbal confirmation system prevents confusion about who is taking responsibility for each pickup while maintaining the hierarchical communication structure essential to professional kitchen operations.

Expediting chef: "Please take cheeseburger medium to position 3, chicken cutlet position 2, and vegetable plate position 1 to table 53"

Food runner: (positions plates correctly and confirms) "3, 2, 1 table 53 out"

This structured dialogue ensures accuracy in food delivery while providing confirmation that orders have been properly received and are en route to correct destinations.

A call for hands can be expressed through several equivalent terms that serve identical functions across different kitchen cultures and regional preferences:

 represents the most direct terminology, simply indicating that food requires collection from the pass. This term appears frequently in casual dining establishments and chain restaurant operations.

 uses Spanish terminology common in kitchens with significant Latino staff representation. The term translates directly to "hands" while maintaining the same functional meaning.

 provides a more formal Spanish variant meaning "hands to the kitchen," often used in establishments where Spanish serves as the primary kitchen communication language.

These variations demonstrate how professional kitchens adapt terminology to their specific cultural contexts while maintaining standardized communication protocols essential for efficient service.

In fine dining restaurants, service protocols accommodate larger table orders requiring multiple food runners. Servers and food runners typically carry up to three plates simultaneously, representing the maximum safe carrying capacity for maintaining food quality and presentation standards.

When a table has four diners or otherwise requires more than three plates, the chef employs expanded communication: "hands and follow hands." This protocol coordinates multiple runners to ensure simultaneous food delivery without compromising service quality.

First runner receives three plates with specific positioning instructions

"Follow" runner receives remaining plates with matching positioning information

Both runners proceed to the table simultaneously

Lead runner delivers first three plates while follow runner positions remaining items

Both runners confirm delivery completion before returning to the kitchen

This coordination ensures that all guests at a table receive their food simultaneously, maintaining the temperature and presentation standards essential to fine dining service.

The goal of professional kitchens is to complete all food for a table simultaneously, requiring complex coordination across multiple stations. When a pasta originates from the pasta station, a salad from garde manger, a burger from the grill, a steak from the broiler, and roast chicken from sauté, all cooks must synchronize their timing to ensure simultaneous completion.

 Each station tracks cooking times for their components while communicating with the expeditor about pickup timing. Cooks call out time estimates ("two minutes on the salmon") to help coordinate final plating.

 The expediting chef orchestrates this timing while ensuring food quality meets standards. This includes applying finishing touches like Maldon salt, herb garnishes, truffle shavings, and other final toppings before calling for hands from food runners.

 The expeditor inspects each plate for proper temperature, presentation, and completeness before authorizing pickup. This final quality check prevents substandard food from reaching guests while maintaining consistency across all orders.

The hands/pickup system represents essential workflow management in professional kitchen operations. Proper execution prevents food from sitting under heat lamps, maintains optimal serving temperatures, and ensures accurate delivery to correct tables and seat positions.

 Efficient hands coordination keeps the pass clear for incoming orders while maintaining steady food delivery rhythm. Delays in pickup create backups that affect kitchen timing and food quality.

 Clear terminology and confirmation protocols prevent misdelivered orders, reducing both food waste and guest dissatisfaction while maintaining professional service standards.

Understanding and executing proper hands/pickup protocols represents fundamental knowledge for all restaurant service staff, embodying the communication discipline and coordination essential to successful restaurant operations.

In professional kitchen lingo, a chef or expeditor calling for hands means that the food for a table has arrived at the pass from the cooks and is ready to be sent to the dining room.

Hands, Pickup