When should the expediter fire the entrees for a large party?

Work backward from the drop

Decide when the table should receive entrees, then subtract the longest cook time on the ticket. That is your fire moment.

For a large party, the slowest item sets the pace, so the fire has to account for it or plates will land cold.

Watch the appetizer clear

Entrees should fire as the appetizer course is winding down, not the second it is cleared. Firing too early risks a pile-up under the lamp.

A live pass shows appetizer progress, so the expediter fires on real signals instead of a stopwatch alone.

Coordinate every station

A big table hits several stations at once, so the fire has to reach them together or the grill will finish long before saute.

Routing the fire to all relevant stations in one action keeps them synced instead of firing piecemeal.

Leave a buffer

Large parties absorb surprises, so build in a small buffer for a remade plate or a late modifier. A tight fire with no slack breaks on the first hiccup.

The buffer is not waste, it is the margin that lets a twelve top go out as one clean drop.