Back of house (BOH)

Back of house (BOH) refers to the behind-the-scenes areas and teams in hospitality businesses that aren’t visible to customers. It encompasses kitchens, maintenance workshops, administrative offices, inventory storage, and staff areas.

For example, at a hotel, the kitchen prepares breakfast orders, the laundry processes towels and linens, and engineers perform routine checks on pool pumps and air conditioners. These operations run out of sight and are critical to ensuring guests enjoy functioning facilities.

In contrast, front of house (FOH) covers the public-facing roles (e.g., hotel receptionists and restaurant servers) and spaces (e.g., lobbies and dining areas) where staff interact directly with customers.