Whether you run a restaurant, café, hotel or healthcare establishment, choosing the perfect tableware for your dining room is a significant step. The abundance of styles, shapes, materials, and prices available often makes it a headache! So what are the 7 essential points to consider to make sure you select the right tableware for your needs? Follow the guide!

1. Type of tableware

Porcelain

Prestigious tableware, porcelain is fired at very high temperatures, vitrifying the product from edge to edge and making it translucent. Equipped with a robust varnish and a reinforced rolled edge for greater durability, porcelain is a highly resistant tableware of incomparable pure white. Each piece of porcelain is generally covered by a manufacturer's anti-scratch warranty.

Bone china

Much lighter and finer than original hard porcelain, it has a special, slightly yellowish sheen due to the incorporation of bone powder, and an unrivaled transparency. Although more refined and lighter, English porcelain is nonetheless highly resistant, and also has a reinforced rim to help absorb shocks.

Stoneware

Stoneware is a more authentic-looking ceramic, more rustic and resistant (though not as resistant as porcelain). It is quite durable, but not as refined and delicate as porcelain.

Tempered glass

Tempered glass tableware undergoes a process called tempering, which makes it considerably more durable. It is 3 to 5 times more resistant than ordinary glass and porcelain, even when dropped. What's more, in the event of breakage, it won't shatter into sharp pieces, minimizing the risk of injury. This type of tableware can be transparent or solid, offering a variety of options.

Tempered glass plates are also eco-responsible, as glass is endlessly recyclable.

 

 

 

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2. Weight

The weight of tableware is an important factor when it comes to serving food. Porcelain or stoneware plates will be heavier than Bone china, or even tempered glass.

There can also be a considerable difference in weight between plates of the same material, but from different brands and collections.

3. The price

From the most expensive and refined dinnerware to the most economical, there's something for every project at L'Atelier du Chef!

If you have the budget, consider porcelain tableware. Highly resistant, it is also technically complex to produce, which explains its prestige and therefore its price. Bone china porcelain, which is distinguished by its extreme finesse and therefore all the more delicate manufacture, will be priced accordingly.

Stoneware and tempered glass are often more affordable alternatives, but just as interesting for tableware that will last over time, despite being slightly less resistant.

If the plates you choose have an organic shape, this will also affect the price you pay, as the shape must be handmade.

 

 

 

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4. Color

In addition to the classic white, today's dinnerware collections come in a wide variety of colors and patterns to perfectly match the colors and design of your dining room and the type of cuisine served in your establishment.  The price may also vary according to the type of coloring process used: if your tableware has been hand-painted, it will of course be more expensive.

On the other hand, pieces with a matte varnish may look great, but they're temperamental and shouldn't be used as the main plate (with steak knife).

5. Shape compatibility

The use of certain accessories such as plate covers must be taken into account when picking the perfect tableware for your establishment. You'll need to ensure that the diameter of your plates matches the diameter of the covers, so they fit perfectly.

6. Collection lifespan

Do you plan to regularly change your dinnerware to keep up with the latest trends? Or would you rather opt for a more classic, timeless collection that you can confidently replace without fear of discontinuation? This question is important to help you choose between timeless or more seasonal collections (that are also more exclusive than the competition.)

7. Availability/speed of production

Depending on the quantity of your order, some collections may not be immediately available. If your dining room is waiting for its new tableware to arrive as soon as possible, our experts can find out about our suppliers' production times and help you select the collections that are available quickly.

Picking the perfect tableware for your establishment is an important part of your project. To avoid it turning into a headache, follow our guide, and if you prefer to be accompanied to make a real, clear decision, simply and efficiently, consult our experts!

Help me with my tableware selection!