When you are finished eating, leave your plates in place and signal to the wait staff by positioning your utensils correctly.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of what to do:
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Leave Your Plates: Do not push your plates away or stack them. Leave them in the same position they were in when you were eating.
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Utensil Placement (American Style): This is the most common method.
- Lay your fork and knife diagonally across the plate, side-by-side.
- The utensils should be pointing towards the 10:00 and 4:00 positions on a clock face.
- This indicates to the wait staff that you have finished your meal and your plate can be taken away.
In summary, after finishing your meal, subtly signal the wait staff by leaving your plates as they are and positioning your fork and knife diagonally across the plate to indicate you are done.
