foh

FOH stands for front of house, a term used in multiple industries to describe the audience-facing areas, roles, and personnel of a venue or operation. In entertainment and hospitality, FOH denotes elements that interact with the public rather than the back-end or production side.

In live sound and theater, FOH refers to the front-of-house position and the person who operates the main sound system for the audience. The FOH engineer controls the overall mix heard by spectators, balancing vocals, instruments, and effects, and ensuring consistent sound across the venue. This role often requires coordinating with the monitor engineer, cueing changes during performances, and managing feedback and acoustical challenges. The FOH area is typically near the audience and the main speaker system, separate from backstage technical spaces.

In hospitality and events, FOH denotes front-of-house staff who directly serve guests, such as hosts, servers, bartenders, and bussers. These workers handle seating, take orders, deliver food and drinks, and assist customers throughout their visit. The front-of-house team works in coordination with back-of-house staff, including cooks and dishwashers, to provide a seamless guest experience.

The term originated in theater, where “the house” referred to the audience seating area, and “front of house” described the portion of the venue visible to patrons. Over time, FOH has been adopted broadly to denote any customer-facing operations.