By providing customers with the right restaurant table essentials, your business can successfully provide a comfortable and convenient dining experience for customers. Ensuring you have the right equipment and supplies also streamlines service operations for staff, optimizing overall efficiency.
Aside from the usual restaurant basics, such as cutlery , plates/bowls , and glassware , food service businesses can further improve customer dining experiences with these extra essentials:
#1 Restaurant Napkins
Restaurant napkins are an absolute must-have for all food service businesses!
There are two main types of napkins, each with their own benefits. Dinner napkins, like the Morsoft Dinner Napkins by Morcon Tissue , promote a comfortable dining experience while allowing individuals to maintain dinner etiquette. They can be placed on laps to catch food spills and used to gently wipe away food, be it from hands or mouths, allowing diners to stay clean during their meal.
The second type is beverage napkins, which are traditionally smaller and more absorbent than dinner napkins, as seen in the Beverage Napkins by Hoffmaster . While they work well in table service environments, coasters are more appropriate for such settings.
However, beverage napkins are perfect in self-serve environments, such as buffets and cafeterias, as they allow customers to quickly grab a napkin to hold their beverage. They also work in favor of food service businesses as they prevent table stains and help maintain overall cleanliness.
Overall, laying the table with either type of napkin helps maintain a professional appearance and demonstrates your restaurant's commitment to customer satisfaction.
#2 Napkin Dispensers
Napkin dispensers, such as the Valay Table Top Napkin Dispenser by Morcon Tissue , are particularly popular in the cafeteria, fast food, takeout, and diner settings. They make it easy for diners to access as many napkins as they need without troubling staff. This not only offers convenience to customers but also lifts some weight off of restaurant staff.
Furthermore, napkin dispensers allow staff to easily and quickly refill them for daily use, ensuring that diners have continual access to napkins. This elevates customer dining experiences while streamlining restaurant maintenance for employees.
#3 Table Covers
Table covers, like the Stretch-Fabric Table Cover by Iceberg , are both practical and decorative. They effectively protect table surfaces from spills, stains, and scratches while also elevating the interior aesthetic of dining settings. They also provide a pleasantly soft surface for diners to rest their hands and arms upon, promoting a more comfortable experience.
Table covers are suited to a variety of dining settings, including formal events (such as charity galas, awards ceremonies, or weddings) and fine-dining establishments (including luxury hotel restaurants). They are also a superb choice for catered parties, such as large birthdays, proms, corporate gatherings, and so forth.
#4 Salt and Pepper Shaker
Salt and pepper shakers, such as the Condiment Set by Office Snax , are suited to many dining environments, including cafes, cafeterias, fast food restaurants, and diners.
They allow dining customers to conveniently season their food to their liking without requesting additional help from staff. Aside from granting diners the opportunity to customize their meals, salt and pepper shakers also relieve staff from additional customer service, improving the overall efficiency of dining environments, especially during busier times!
#5 Placemats & Doilies
Placemats and doilies protect surfaces from spills and heat damage, ensuring staff can easily clean up and prepare dining tables in between services. Aside from their practicality, they also uplift the visual appeal of dining settings, ensuring diners enjoy a pleasant atmosphere that leaves a positive lasting impression.
While both dining accessories present similar benefits, they serve slightly different functions. Placemats are larger and rectangular in shape. They're best suited to larger dishes, such as serving platters; they can also be laid beneath a full ensemble of dinnerware.
Traditionally, placemats aren't as decorative as doilies but more protective - but that doesn't mean you can't get the best of both worlds! The Classic Embossed Straight Edge Placemats by Hoffmaster is a wonderful example of a placemat that serves both practical and ornamental benefits.
On the other hand, doilies, such as the elegant Cambridge Lace Doilies by Hoffmaster , typically offer more style with moderate protection. They are best suited for food displays, such as wedding or birthday cakes, fancy desserts, and pastries, making them perfect for bakeries and event catering companies!
#6 Pitchers & Decanters
Pitchers, like the Classic Water Filter Pitcher by Brita , are excellent for serving beverages like water, juice, or iced tea. They can either be served by staff, ensuring a professional touch, or placed on tables for diners to pour themselves, offering convenience for customers to refill their glasses without assistance - especially if they order sharing beverages!
Similarly, decanters are used in upmarket establishments to aerate and serve wine, enhancing its flavor and aroma.
This ensures an enjoyable 'wine and dine' experience for diners. You can also get coffee decanters, such as the Unbreakable Regular Coffee Decanter by Coffee Pro , which allow staff to seamlessly serve tables as they work across the restaurant floor. They are particularly suited to cafes, cafeterias, and diners.
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FAQs:
If you have a question about restaurant table essential items for improved dining, check out our ready-answered FAQs below:
What Are the Essential Items Needed When Setting a Table?
The basic items needed for setting a dining room table include a napkin, charger plate, cutlery, and appropriate glassware (such as wine glasses or water/juice glasses).Extra essential table dining items include a tablecloth or placemat, decanters, and special cutlery (such as soup or dessert spoons, steak knives, and salad forks).
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How Do You Set Up a Restaurant Table?
In restaurant settings, it's best practice to ensure dining tables are fully clean before setting them.
For convenient and rapid cleaning, we recommend using an all-purpose spray cleaning solution, such as the Multi-Purpose Cleaner by Mrs Myers , and a microfiber cloth, like the Microfiber Cleaning Cloths by Rubbermaid Commercial , to gently wipe away any lingering food and spills without damaging table surfaces.
Once clean, you can lay the flatware, with forks arranged to the left and spoons and knives to the right. A charger plate should be placed in the center, between the flatware, and a beverage glass and wine glass should be placed in the top right corner. A folded napkin should also be folded neatly to the right, beneath the spoon and fork.
Alternatively, it can be placed on top of the plate. To ensure your restaurant maintains a professional and cohesive interior, choose dinnerware styles that match.
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What Is a Buffet Table Setting?
Buffet table settings are more laid back than standard sit-down dining set-ups.
Because buffet food is all served in one area, it's common for serving plates and cutlery to be at the start of the buffet line, allowing diners to serve themselves before heading to the dining table.Similarly, if there are juice machines or beverage dispensers at a buffet, glassware may also be placed nearby.
If you run a hotel, cafeteria, wedding venue, catering company, or any establishment that offers buffets, discover our wide range of quality and affordable dinnerware essentials at Buy Direct.
How Do You Clean Restaurant Cutlery?
The easiest and most efficient way to clean restaurant cutlery is with a dishwasher. When paired with effective cleaning solutions, such as the best-selling Powerball Dishwasher Tabs by Finish , a dishwasher can refresh restaurant cutlery, leaving it 100% clean and sparkling for further use.
Alternatively, if you have fine silverware, it's more suitable to hand-wash cutlery with a gentle sponge and soap, such as the gentle yet effective Dishwashing Liquid by Ultra Palmolive , to prevent damaging materials and ensure everlasting shine.
Once clean, polishing with a microfiber cloth is also recommended, and it's also advised to ensure fingerprints and water stains are removed.