The commis is the waiter who works alongside the chef de rang. They carry plates from the kitchen to the table, top up bread, water and wine, and clear between courses. Often it is a younger waiter or one in training.
The chef de rang and commis pair is the basis of service at seated receptions with many courses. In services where the serving dish is brought into the room, such as Russian service or guéridon service, they work as a team. The pace of the dinner also depends on how many there are: few commis mean longer waits between courses.
What to ask
Ask the caterer how many front-of-house staff it plans, broken down by role, and how many tables each pair covers. The full picture of roles is in the guide to banqueting staff roles.
