Arrange display trays and risers on the station table. Place mini desserts by type in sections for guests to choose: chocolate mousse, lemon tarts, panna cotta, fruit tarts and brownie bites. Keep garnishes, sauces and toppings nearby in bowls or squeeze bottles for quick finishing.

Finishing mini desserts

For each type of mini dessert, finish and garnish immediately before service to ensure freshness and presentation: - Chocolate mousse: top each piece with chocolate shavings and a single fresh berry or mint leaf. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired. - Lemon tart shells: pipe or spoon lemon curd into shells if not prefilled, then garnish with a thin curl of lemon zest and a small dollop of whipped cream. - Vanilla panna cotta: top with berry coulis and 2–3 fresh berries. Add a small mint leaf. - Fruit tarts with pastry cream: arrange fresh sliced fruit on top and brush lightly with warmed berry coulis to glaze. - Brownie bites: warm briefly on a low-temperature hot plate for 20–30 seconds if you want them slightly warm, then top with a spoon of caramel sauce and chopped toasted nuts.

Maintaining freshness

Replenish items from reserve containers as they run low. Keep chilled items on a tray over ice or in a refrigerated drawer if available. Replace any items that sit out for over 2 hours according to food safety guidelines.

Ice Cream & Sundae Bar

Cold storage and display

Place ice cream tubs in ice bath containers or in a soft-serve dispenser (if using soft-serve). Keep sorbet in a separate ice bath. Keep scoops and utensils cold by resting handles in ice or chilled water between uses.

Serving scooped ice cream

Use a warmed scoop (dip in hot water and shake dry) to portion consistent 3–4 oz scoops. For each serving, offer up to two scoop options. Place scoops in mini waffle cones or small bowls according to guest preference.

Sundae assembly and toppings

Have sauces in squeeze bottles for quick finishing: chocolate sauce, hot fudge and caramel. Offer toppings in labeled bowls: crushed cookies, sprinkles, chopped nuts, caramelized banana slices, and cherries. Steps: 1. Place ice cream scoops in the chosen container. 2. Drizzle 1–2 tbs of sauce per serving (adjust to taste). 3. Add 1–2 tbs of chosen dry toppings and 1 tbs of chopped nuts if requested. 4. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top. 5. For banana sundaes, layer a spoon of caramelized banana slices under or over the ice cream and drizzle warm caramel sauce.

Soft-serve or made-to-order

If offering made-to-order sundaes, keep an organized ticket / request area. Use pressurized whipped cream cans and squeeze bottles to speed service. Train station staff to ask guests about allergies (nuts, gluten, dairy) before adding toppings.

Live Station Operations & Service

Staffing: Assign one person to manage the mini desserts (refilling and finishing) and one person dedicated to the ice cream bar (scooping and topping). A third person can replenish supplies and monitor temperatures.

Timing and flow: Open the station 10 minutes before peak service to allow guests to queue. Keep a steady flow by pre-portioning several of each mini dessert and having a reserve of scooped ice cream in chilled containers for very busy periods.

Food safety and cleaning: Keep hot sauces on a low hot plate and discard any perishable topping held at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Provide hand sanitizer for staff and change gloves every 30 minutes or when switching tasks. Wipe spills immediately and rotate serving utensils regularly.

Portions and yield: The quantities provided are estimated to serve 120 small tasting portions (combination of mini desserts and ice cream servings). Adjust quantities up or down based on guest count and portion size preferences.