NEXT EDITION: FEBRUARY 2026

REGISTRATION OPEN: JUNE 10, 2025

Trasnform the dining room into a driver of excellence, loyalty, and profitability.

The Advanced Course in Front-of-House Management and Customer Service is designed for hospitality professionals seeking to master key tools in front-of-house operations, guest experience design, personalized service, and operational efficiency.

You will learn how to manage spaces, ambiance, and guest interaction by applying techniques in Dining Experience Design and Customer Experience Management. You'll incorporate visual and sensory service methodologies to optimize every guest touchpoint.

With a hands-on structure, the Advanced Course combines practical sessions, simulations, and visits to renowned restaurants (previous editions included visits to SUTAN, Martín Berasategui, and Akelarre), giving you first-hand insight into how these concepts are implemented in professional settings.

Upon completion, you will be prepared to lead front-of-house teams, manage customer experience in high-end gastronomic businesses, or develop your own ventures by combining management, service techniques, and effective communication.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

• Start date: February 2026
• Registration opening: June 10, 2025
• Language: Spanish
• Duration: 10 ECTS
• 18 slots available
• Campus Based Learning
• Location: Basque Culinary Center
• Academic period: from February to April 2026
  • On-site classes: Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (CEST)
• Degree: Advanced Course in Front-of-House Management and Customer Service
• For inquiries and more information, click here

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Acquire technical knowledge about the operational functioning and comprehensive management of the dining room, including service techniques and formats.
• Develop skills in client psychology (internal and external), verbal and non-verbal communication, with the aim of enhancing service, increasing sales, and managing teams effectively.
• Learn key service and experience design tools aimed at improving quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.
• Gain advanced knowledge of core front-of-house products — such as beer, coffee, cocktails, cheese, ham, wine, and pairings — to advise and meet client expectations with confidence.
• Understand the use of technology in front-of-house environments and best practices in social media communication within the sector.
• Enhance management skills focused on process optimization, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business profitability.

PROFESSIONAL APPLICATIONS

After completing the Advanced Course in Dining Room Management and Customer Service, you will be able to apply your knowledge in various areas within the hospitality and gastronomy sector. Potential career paths may include:

Dining Room Management in Gastronomic Business Models:

• Front-of-House Manager
• Supervisor
• Head Waiter/Waitress

Specialized Hospitality Consulting:

• Customer Service and Restaurant Management Consultant

Training in Service and Customer Attention:

• Trainer in culinary education institutions, hospitality schools, and universities

Gastronomic Entrepreneurship:

• Entrepreneur in themed restaurants, bars, or innovative front-of-house experiences

MEET GONZALO PARRAS, COURSE COORDINATOR

TARGET AUDIENCE 

The Advanced Course in Front-of-House Management and Customer Service is designed for professionals who want to specialize in front-of-house management and customer service, strengthening their skills in leadership, process optimization, and experience design. Through this program, participants will enhance their hospitality profile by gaining access to tools and methodologies that will support their professional growth.

Recommended profiles:

• Graduates in Restaurant Services Management, Hospitality, or related fields who wish to deepen their knowledge in advanced service techniques and management.
• Front-of-house and hospitality staff (waitstaff, maîtres, restaurant managers) seeking to acquire new competencies in leadership and operational management.
• Restaurant managers and administrators looking to improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and business profitability.
• Trainers in hospitality and customer service who want to update their expertise with current sector methodologies and trends.
• Consultants and advisors in hospitality aiming to incorporate innovative techniques into their service improvement projects.
• Owners of food and beverage businesses who wish to professionalize service management and elevate the quality of customer care.

Not sure if your profile fits this Course?

If your education or experience does not appear in the list above and you are interested in this Course, contact us to evaluate your case and provide personalized guidance.

PROGRAM

Module I: The role of the dining room in the contemporary restaurant

• The values of the host.
• From social protocol to custom protocols.
• Socio-gastronomic culture. 
• Types of customers in fine dining.
• The evolution of dining and service.
• New trends and values in the restaurant floor.

Module II: Psychology and communication skills applied to front-of-house

• Leadership and management skills applied to teams.
• How to manage emotions effectively within teams.
• Recognizing talent and fostering appreciation.
• Conflict management and resolution in work environments.
• Emotional intelligence applied to both internal and external customers.
• Communication techniques in service: storytelling and public speaking.
• Body language and non-verbal communication in the dining room.
• How to increase sales through effective communication in service.

Module III: Service design, experience building, and sensory impact in the dining room

• Customer Experience Management: How to manage customer experience through service and experience design.
• The importance of space: interior design, architecture, and décor.
• Sensory elements in service: The impact of materials and ambiance.

Module IV: Management tools: enhancing integral management of front-of-house

• Labor relations and people management.
• Procurement and supplier management. Quality and process control.
• Wine cellar management and commercial strategies for wine lists.
• Profit threshold, P&L analysis, and performance indicators.
• Menu engineering and clienting: client-focused revenue strategies.
• Front-of-house operations manual and service documentation.
• Advanced service techniques: On-site preparations and customer-facing creativity.

Module V: Key products in restaurants: wine, beer, coffee, mixology, and more

• The world of wine: Versatility of wine as a sales tool.
• Beer: The product adapted to new consumption moments.
• Creative and signature cocktails: Basic principles of mixology and the bartender’s role in service.
• Introduction to other products that enrich the dining experience: Iberian ham, cheese, bread, spirits, etc.

Module VI: Technology in service: approaching the digital era

• Digital branding.
• Digital marketing.
• Reservation management and new service systems: POS, digital menus, ordering and payment technologies.

Module VII: Final Project

The academic period will conclude with the development of a final project based on the internal analysis of a business model from a 360º front-of-house perspective.

CALENDAR

• Academic period: from february to april 2026
  • On-site classes: Mondays and Tuesdays, from 9:15 to 18:30 (CEST)

METHODOLOGY

The Advanced Course in Dining Room Management and Customer Service follows a practical, dynamic, and application-oriented methodology within the hospitality sector. Through the learning by doing approach, you will develop essential skills to execute advanced service techniques, manage front-of-house operations, and design impactful guest experiences.

How does the Course work?

• Theoretical-practical classes. These sessions provide key theoretical foundations on topics such as customer experience management, team leadership in the dining room, or service protocols. They incorporate audiovisual materials and real cases to ensure a solid understanding.
• Intensive practice weeks. Every two weeks, a full week —more than 80 hours of hands-on training— will be dedicated to individual and team application of techniques, processes, operational management, and liquid concept development.
• Workshops and applied exercises. You will apply course content to real industry scenarios and develop a comprehensive final project integrating service design strategies, personalized attention, and operational improvement.
• Masterclasses with industry leaders. Delivered by professionals in areas such as dining room protocol, personal branding, and key product management (wines, cocktails, etc.). These include hands-on exercises like supplier and purchasing simulations, communication techniques to increase sales, and tableside preparation of dishes.

This approach will allow you to:

• Design memorable guest experiences by applying tools related to sensory perception, communication, and ambiance within the gastronomic environment.
• Refine your skills in service and dining room management, combining technique, empathy, and strategic vision to lead teams with excellence.
• Optimize front-of-house processes by incorporating best practices in team management, purchasing, profitability, and personalized guest attention.

Key Experiences

• Learning Journeys. Immersive visits to renowned establishments. In previous editions, visits were made to venues such as SUTAN, Martín Berasategui, Ama Tolosa, Alameda, and Akelarre. You will observe and analyze best practices in front-of-house service.
• Final Project. The academic period concludes with the development of a project based on an internal analysis of a business model from a 360º front-of

TEACHING STAFF

The Advanced Course in Dining Room Management and Customer Service has a teaching team composed of renowned experts in dining room operations, customer service, beverages, and specialized front-of-house techniques.

COURSE COORDINATOR

Gonzalo Parras
With over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry and 19 years in teaching specialized in customer service, Gonzalo coordinates the Dining Room and Customer Service area at Basque Culinary Center. He is a professor in various subjects and project tutor in the Expert Course in Bartending and Modern Mixology. He is a specialist in fermented and distilled beverages, as well as front-of-house service techniques, with a strong practical focus on tableside dish presentation.

MAIN FACULTY

• Onneca Guelbenzu. With a strong international background, Onneca holds a WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines, WSET Level 3 in Sake, and is certified as a Sake Sommelier by the SSI (Kikisake-shi). She also holds the title of "Basque Sumiller" and a Master’s in Oenology, Viticulture, and Wine Marketing. She is currently pursuing the prestigious Master of Wine program. Onneca has worked as a sommelier in a two-Michelin-star restaurant and as an educator and writer specializing in wine.
• Eduardo Serrano. Hotel and Restaurant Business Director. MBA in Business Management and specialist in strategic planning and creative thinking. With over 30 years of experience in the leisure, tourism, hospitality, and restaurant sectors, he has worked as an entrepreneur, executive, consultant, and researcher both nationally and internationally. He currently serves as President of AIDABE (Ibero-American Association of Food and Beverage Directors).
• Osane Matías. Professor of Psychology and Communication at Mondragón University, specializing in NLP, coaching, and communication skills. She is a trainer at institutions such as Hobeki and Nazaret and holds master's degrees in Ericksonian Hypnosis and Nonverbal Behavior. She also works as a psychotherapist with a systemic and Gestalt approach.

GUEST LECTURERS AND COLLABORATORS

This Course also integrates expertise from institutions and recognized industry professionals who bring an up-to-date perspective. The selection of guest lecturers varies each edition. Examples include:

• Ferran Centelles
• Enrique Lezcano
• Idoia Astui
• Manuel Bovia

FEES AND GRANTS

Total Price: €3,300

Payment conditions:

• €150 upon submitting your application (fully refundable in case of non-admission).
• €1,260 (40% of the total fee) upon admission confirmation, as a seat reservation.
• €1,890, payable two weeks before the start of the program.

The fee includes:

• Academic materials
• Learning journey (transport and accommodation expenses included)
• Seminars and masterclasses included in the training program
• Issuance and delivery of the official diploma

ADMISSIONS

The Advanced Course in Front-of-House Management and Customer Service has an admissions process designed to ensure that candidates possess the level, experience, and competencies necessary to make the most of this specialized training.

1. REGISTRATION

To begin the process, complete the online application and pay the €150 application fee.

2. SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS

Additionally, you must submit the following documents:

• Updated Curriculum Vitae
• One passport-sized photo
• Copy of ID card or passport
• Motivation letter explaining your interest in the program

3. PROFILE AND COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT

Once your application is submitted, the Admissions Committee will review your professional and academic background. If your profile aligns with the course objectives, you will be invited to an online personal interview.

4. ADMISSION AND SEAT RESERVATION

Within one week of your interview, you will receive a decision on your application. If accepted, you will be given instructions on how to confirm your seat.

If you are not admitted, the full application fee will be refunded.

For more information: cursos@bculinary.com

PRE-TRAVEL PROCEDURES TO SPAIN

Long-term visa

This visa allows you to reside, reside and work, study or research in Spain. All foreigners wishing to enter Spain to reside, reside and work, or study need to have this type of visa, unless they are citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

The long-term visa application must be submitted with a duly completed application form (original and copy), which can be downloaded for free from this link "Application Form" and can also be obtained free of charge from the Diplomatic Missions or Consular Offices of Spain abroad.

The documents that must generally be submitted at the embassy for visa processing are:

• Provided by Basque Culinary Center
  • Enrollment certificate signed and sealed by BCC
  • Training program sealed by BCC
  • Academic calendar sealed by BCC
• To be provided by the student
• Health insurance
• Accommodation certificate in San Sebastián

*The required documents in each country are different. Check the different embassies and consulates: HERE

More information on the visa application process.

PROCEDURES TO BE DONE IN SPAIN

International students upon arriving in San Sebastián must manage the following documents:

NIE

The NIE (Foreigner Identity Number) application aims to provide an identification number for foreigners necessary for identification purposes in order to reside in Spain.

Social Security number

This number will allow students to be registered with the National Institute of Social Security for academic internships or work.

More information on the process of requesting these documents.

Below are some data reflecting the COST OF LIVING in Donostia - San Sebastián:

Entertainment

Transport

The best way to get around the city is through its urban bus network. The companies that provide this service are the Donostia-San Sebastián Tram Company and LurraldeBus.

Complete information on routes, schedules, and fares is available at www.dbus.es and www.lurraldebus.eus/es. The website also offers the possibility of calculating the bus route between two points and the estimated duration of the journey.

This public bus service has the option to create an individual card to benefit from monthly transport passes that reduce costs. More information at www.mugi.eus/index.php/es/

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