The hospitality industry is huge, and it can be incredibly lucrative. A lot of people dream of opening their own restaurants. Regardless of how or why you find yourself managing a restaurant, there are often a lot of plates that you need to keep spinning in order to maximise your profit potential.
One of the lesser-considered aspects of restaurant management is the aesthetics, and the tableware that you choose often provides your guests with their first impression of the business. Keep reading to find out more.
Dressing a Table
Having your restaurant guests come in to be greeted by a beautifully laid table helps to provide them with a great first impression of your restaurant and the level of detail that you put into your approach. It helps to instil a level of anticipation within your guests as to what they can expect from the food and overall dining experience. Your table dressings need to match the vibe and formality of the restaurant and incorporate common themes or colours.
The China
After you have put some thought into the aesthetic that you want to showcase through your tableware, you can begin to choose some china that speaks to this aesthetic and theme. This will also be informed by the formality of the restaurant, some higher-end restaurants will serve their food on top of a charger plate, and others won’t. Your china can be used to create visual interest so keep that in mind. The china is likely to be kept in the kitchen, and it is washed and used repeatedly, so choosing something too delicate doesn’t make much sense.
The Napkins & Cutlery
The napkins and cutlery are likely to be on the table when the guests enter the restaurant, as opposed to being provided with the food. Now, your choice of napkin can be used to inject some personality and colour into the table settings. There are a lot of different folding options, too; however, if you are going to opt for a busier napkin, then you need to choose plain cutlery and vice versa. Johnsons of Stalbridge have linen napkin services across the UK for you to take advantage of.
The cutlery will obviously largely depend on the type of restaurant and how many courses you serve to the guests. The most traditional is obviously to simply set out the cutlery in the order of the courses, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. There are other styles designed to create more of a visual impact that you could explore. Choosing high-quality metal cutlery can also reflect candlelight to create more of an ambience.
Table Linens are Optional
Some restaurants also choose to have table linens, but this is not necessary when dressing your table. It comes down to preference. Table linens are often considered to a be a little on the fancier side, so more casual eateries will likely choose to forego them, because it does make it easier to clean the tables between guests. If you choose to keep them, it is worth exploring your options in terms of colours and textures to make your table dressings a little unique.
In Conclusion
Your choice in tableware does matter because it directly impacts the first impression that your guests form when entering the restaurant. It should be seen as a tool that you can use to create the desired atmosphere. Think about the aesthetics of your restaurant and what you are trying to portray to the guests; your tableware can help you.
