You only get one chance to make a first impression, they say, so in this year of vital national importance, what do your table tops say about you? Don Kavanagh asks.
It might sound like a simple platitude, but when you are building something you normally start from the bottom up and building a perfect place setting should start the same way.
There is no use having the most sparkling clean, diamond-studded crockery if the table cloth is a couple of sheets of the Wanganui Chronicle spread over the table.
Table presentation is one of the most vital aspects of any restaurant’s atmosphere, whether you are going for distressed wooden tables and raffia-work Chianti bottles or the full formal setting; it needs to sum up the establishment at a glance.
This can be tricky for some operations, as they walk a tricky line between being inviting and scaring off potential diners, but that tightrope act is essential to learn.
Someone looking for a casual meal might be put off by the full formal dining layout and, likewise, anyone searching for fine dining may not be attracted by a scruffy looking table.
Starting at the bottom, you have the table itself. Do you use a tablecloth? And, if so, what sort?
Linens are a big part of the décor in any restaurant. They are highly visual and make a big impact, but a lot of people don’t think about them as being an important part of their budgets. If you want to make a good impression, good linen makes all the difference.
Of course table tops need to be designed to entice, and created to perform – which for many restaurants means turning tables many times a night. Matt Edgar, business development manager of Hospitality Textiles, says this means that most restaurateurs are turning to polyester tablecloths and napkins. “If you are going to invest money in a tablecloth it is best to get a polyester product because you’ll get much more service life out of it. Cotton table linen tends to have a short service life because every time you stain treat them the cotton yarn deteriorates. A cotton tablecloth will usually only last 18-24 months. By comparison, I have a customer who has been using the same polyester products for more than 10 years and they still look great.”
However, if you are aiming for the fine dining end of the market, linen is still king for both tablecloths and napkins. And if you use paper napkins, make sure they are good quality and at least 40cm x 40cm.
Cutlery is also vitally important, regardless of which end of the spectrum your operation caters to. Poorly cleaned and presented cutlery can be violently off-putting for diners. After all, who wants to eat with a fork that still carries the residue of the last meal it was used for? So it’s essential that your dishwasher is capable of presenting sparkling clean cutlery for each service. It also helps if your staff can keep an eye on the cutlery as it is placed on the table.
Also, cutlery should be in proportion to the size of the crockery. Small knives and forks get lost beside large plates.
It’s also good to present an uncluttered table, containing only what is necessary to dine. Extraneous flowers, candles and decorations can reduce the space available for dishes, glasses and the “elbow room” necessary at a table.
Candles themselves add a romantic glow to a table, but they need to serve a purpose rather than being simply decorative. There are endless candlelight options, but the challenge is finding what best suits their restaurant. Some new products are refillable oil fuel cells. Unlike traditional plastic fuel cells which must be thrown away after each use, these units can be used an unlimited number of times and cost less than half as much to run as disposables.
Another “green” option is using rechargeable electric candles. Joy Cato from Firelight says the electric candles that she sells “have a lovely, soft, pulsing light” that “looks like a real candle but is flame-free, windproof, and rechargeable.” And best of all – the candles recharge on an easy-to-use tray. Because they charge by induction rather than a specific point of contact there is “no mucking around with pins.” The candles can also be controlled by remote control and timers, so there is never any electricity wastage.
Crockery is the next step and all levels of the industry need to take a good look at their plates, bowls and dishes and chuck out anything that is chipped. Few things will deter a diner faster than a chipped glass or plate. It’s also a good idea to check for crazing in the glaze.
While most restaurants opt for the plain white plate these days, allowing the food to paint the picture, there are still good-quality plates available in other colours that can add a splash of colour to the table, which can be an option for more casual dining operations.
Glassware is the other big eye-catcher on the table. Sparkling clean glasses catch the light and add a touch of class to a well-presented table. But only if they are the right type. Ideally, glasses should be at least 300ml in volume, so the wine can aerate and diners can swirl it in the glass while pretending to know a lot more about it than they actually do.
Small goblet-style wine glasses look mean, frankly, and diners are now so used to huge glasses that they often feel short-changed by anything smaller than 300ml.
It’s also a good idea to have attractive water glasses, as these are often overlooked in restaurants and diners can be presented with a substandard vessel.
With the extra crowds arriving for the RWC, many bars and restaurants are looking at setting up auxiliary drinking/dining areas, many in car parks or marquees. While this will maximise the space available to sue for drinking and dining, it also presents its own challenges.
Firstly there is the cost of extra cutlery, crockery and glassware. It’s a good idea to calculate how many extra punters are likely to be catered for and order accordingly. It’s also a good idea to look at more durable products for dining in an outdoor setting.
Wobbly tables and hard ground can be harsh on porcelain and glass, so perhaps alternatives to breakable tableware are in order. White melamine can look like porcelain, but it is cheaper and more durable in a temporary setting.
Similarly, there are much better quality “glasses” available in synthetic materials these days. This allows you to present beer and wine in a vessel close to glass, but one that is much more durable. The Strahl range of polycarbonate tableware from Click Clack is ideal for outdoor settings, looking and feeling like glass, but very hard-wearing.
Finally, if there is anything you need to find or if you simply need some ideas, ask your supplier for new foodservice ideas. After all that’s their job too.