Restaurant staff don’t want you to know this, but they use hand signals to communicate with each other. These signals can vary from restaurant to restaurant, but here are some of the most common ones. When a table needs cleaning a waiter will brush their shoulder with their hand. Pointing to a ring finger means a couple is celebrating an anniversary. When a server is talking too long to a customer, a manger will make small circles with their hand to tell them to wrap it up. A sideways ‘V’ from the maitre d’ signifies the arrival of a VIP. The hand signals are not just for the wait staff either. When a cook slashes a hand across the neck, it means a dish is out.

 

Ultimately, the goal of the signals is to make the restaurant more efficient to make a better dining experience for the customer. Next time you are in a restaurant see if you can catch a glimpse of some of the hand signals around you.