Tabletop/Front Of House News

Carlisle Cos. has announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell Carlisle FoodService Products (CFS) to The Jordan Co., a New York-based private equity firm, for $750 million in cash. The transaction, announced February 1, is expected to close within the first quarter of 2018. CFS manufactures supplies, table coverings, cookware, displayware, storage containers,…

The kitchen is the backbone of any restaurant, and when it’s chaotic, so is the entire dining experience. Customers at Captain’s Quarters in Prospect, Kentucky, outside of Louisville, are treated in an idyllic waterfront dining experience thanks to the restaurant’s position on the bank of the Ohio River. However, 13 years ago, the restaurant’s high-capacity…

Frank Lloyd Wright made his name by designing spaces that connect with nature. The surroundings helped define what the building would look like and how it would function. Wright’s buildings left their marks in a major way. His architecture remains an example of how one person’s perspective can influence the look and feel of our…

As nearly everyone in the foodservice market knows, the parent company of Oneida and Anchor Hocking, among America’s most recognized foodservice and retail tabletop brands, has weathered more than one storm since the beginning of the Millenium. The forces of globalization, the demands of American finance and other factors led to two bankruptcy filings, supply…

White plates are the ultimate workhorses of the dish world. They never look cheap, their lack of color appropriately highlights any kind of food, and you can mix and match from different brands yet still present a pulled-together table. Plus, unlike patterned dishes, you can find replacements virtually anywhere. Yet all this versatility can be…

For decades, the standard plate for meals at nearly any restaurant has been white. Namely, a round white plate with a shiny glazed finish. IKEA outpost in New Jersey? Round white plates. Le Bernardin? Round white plates. Timetraveling to dinner at Lutèce? You’d also be dining on the same. Though there have been some tweaks…

The global design firm Snohetta has revealed designs for the first underwater restaurant in Europe. Part marine research center, the restaurant on the southern coast of Norway, near the village of Båly, will be called Under, a word that can also be translated as “wonder” in Norwegian. It’s scheduled to open in 2018. No diving…

Seventy-two billion pounds of food is wasted every year in the U.S., with restaurants making a significant contribution to that waste: According to a 2016 report by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, 93.7% — or 1.83 billion pounds, roughly — of uneaten food in American restaurants is thrown away. Just 4.2% (83.1 million pounds) is recycled and only 2%…

As restaurants become increasingly focused on cutting waste, many are taking innovative steps to meet their goals. Whether it’s completely feasible for restaurants and foodservice establishments to achieve zero-waste, however, remains questionable without changing key operational strategies. UK eatery Silo was recently celebrated for its commitment to zero waste but even its proprietor Douglas McMaster admits…

I once heard a wine director say to a group of hospitality students, “The restaurant industry is basically an island of misfits.” In many ways, he is correct. Restaurants draw people from all industry sectors. It’s not uncommon for one to work alongside a poet, a Broadway dancer or even an ex-con. The hospitality industry…