As a pretty frequent restaurant patron in New York, Ive recently noticed that more and more servers across all types of restaurants from casual establishments to fancier ones dont write down my order when Im selecting from the menu. Aside from wondering whether theyd actually get my order right, this also led me to ponder: Has this become an industry standard? Is there a rule book of sorts that restaurant workers follow? Does an eatery look better if its employees write down orders, or commit them to memory instead?

There isnt really an industry standard when it comes to writing down orders versus memorizing them, said Rick Camac , the executive director of industry relations at the Institute of Culinary Educations New York City campus. Either way, servers need to track not only every order but the table and seat numbers as well.

It follows, then, that jotting down the names of requested dishes in seat order may minimize the potential for error.

That said, folks in the industry seem to agree that memorizing orders is more common at relatively high-end restaurants than it is at casual ones.

The higher the market segment, the more likely the orders will be memorized, said Camac. It is looked at as being more sophisticated to memorize orders in comparison to writing them down.

Mary King , a former restaurant manager and current editor of website The Restaurant HQ, echoed those sentiments, with a caveat: Overall, using a pen and a pad is still more common than the paperless option.

Memorizing orders is more common in fine dining restaurants, and writing down the order is more common in casual spots, she said. Industrywide, though, I think writing down orders is more common than memorization.

Whats perhaps most interesting is why fine dining establishments have come to be associated with a lack of order write-ups.

It is connected to a restaurants idea about who is in charge of the guests experience, posited King. In a fine dining establishment, the chef and staff are in charge. Writing down an order would flip this dynamic on its head: The server is literally taking an order from a customer. Thats not high-end. Thats not fine dining.

Also, fancier eateries frequently offer more streamlined menus that allow for fewer modifications.

In fine dining, a server doesnt need to remember the customers modifications because the chef is not going to modify the dish, King said.

No matter the type of venue, it is clear that taking notes (as writing down orders is called in gastronomic circles) and memorization practices each come with upsides and downsides.

Pros And Cons Of Writing Down Orders

There is one big benefit to writing out a customers order: There is less potential for mistakes.

It reduces errors and provides a record to refer to if there is a miscommunication or error, King said. It also typically makes guests feel more confident that their order will be prepared correctly.