Smallwares, Big Decision

I am a strong believer that all items on a table help to convey a concept—not just the food and drink, but everything from the menu and place setting when you sit down, to the check presenter placed on the table at the end of the meal. As such, in order to run a successful restaurant operation, no detail can be overlooked, including smallwares.

Most restaurant owners will tell you their primary concern is matching their budget with distinct and memorable smallwares. While this is certainly an important concern, durability, for example, is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. If you’re opening a hip, new restaurant in town or working to establish yourself as a fine dining destination, selecting some unique pieces may be more important to your concept than if you’re a quick-service, high volume restaurant. The latter concept must be woven through each touchpoint, large or small, and oftentimes, the resilience of an item doesn’t lend itself to the aesthetics of your goal.

For…