INDIANAPOLIS, October 11, 2007 — An appealing table setting creates atmosphere and ambience to foodservice establishments. By using a setting that complements the menu and decor, customers will leave with a positive impression of their dining experience. Follow these standard guidelines to ensure the best presentation for customers.
1. Do not use the same table setting for each meal of the day. Changing the setting for each meal adds variety and provides for better rotation of dinnerware, glassware and flatware. For example, salad plates and forks are not used during the breakfast service. If the dinner table setting is used at breakfast, the salad plate and fork will go unused, but will still need to be washed and dried before using again for lunch or dinner services.
2. Glassware inventory should include more than just tumblers. Even if the establishment does not serve alcoholic drinks, consider ordering goblets (footed glasses). Water, juice and other drinks served in goblets looks more stylish than in a traditional tumbler. Larger goblets can also double in usage to make for a unique presentation for desserts such as ice cream, mousse and parfaits. Goblets, when used for water or other non-alcoholic drinks, can be used for a number of table settings other than a formal dinner.
3. Know the expected amount of usage for each tabletop item before placing the original order. Regardless if a table is set for breakfast or dinner, casual or formal, some items will be used all day. A dinner fork and a bread and butter plate are two items that are used in all settings. To ensure that enough pieces are on-hand– and not waiting to be washed in the kitchen — consider ordering more of the commonly used items. Each piece of dinnerware, glassware or flatware is usually available to buy individually. This allows for ordering multiple cases of the commonly-used items, like dinner forks, and for ordering a single case of the less frequent items, like an oyster fork.
4. To provide extra style – and functionality – to the table setting, add a variety of accessories. The accessories should complement the dinnerware, glassware and flatware already selected. While they do not have to match exactly, choose items with coordinating patters, designs or colors. Accessories may include bread baskets, condiment servers, napkin rings, bud vases or candle lamps.
To see diagrams of how the standard table settings should look, see our Helpful Hints. For additional table setting ideas and guidelines, visit Central Restaurant Products.
About Central Restaurant Products:
Central Products opened in 1981 near downtown Indianapolis and has grown to become one of the nation’s leading distributors of quality commercial restaurant equipment and supplies. Central’s knowledgeable Product Consultants with industry experience are available during convenient hours–phone lines are open for business Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. They can be reached at 800.222.5107. Shop online; request a nearly 300-page color catalog or sign up for e-mail promotions at centralrestaurant.com
