COVID-19 has upended the restaurant industry. As the pandemic and restrictions continue, industrial laundering services can support their restaurant clientele by offering and encouraging the use of reusable table linens and napkins vs. their disposable counterparts.
Below, we’ll explore benefits you can share with your restaurant and bar customers on how reusable linens edge out their single-use counterparts in terms of cleanliness, appearance, and sustainability.
1. Table Linens and Placemats Keep Tables Cleaner
Restaurants need to build trust with diners as they welcome them back inside for table service. Diners don’t know what to expect when entering a restaurant for sit-down service. Will the table be clean? Will they be seated close to another party?
Simply hoping hourly employees will sanitize bare tables between parties isn’t enough as bare tabletops are a breeding ground for bacteria.
What your restaurant clients might not realize is that reusable table linens aren’t just for looks. They also create a safer, more hygienic atmosphere for diners. How much safer? According to the Textile Rental Service of America (TRSA), tablecloths, which are only touched on the corners by a server, are five-times cleaner than bare tables.
Tablecloths also show customers which tables are available and which are closed to maintain social distancing. The simple use of a tablecloth immediately eases a diner’s concerns about eating in a crowded dining room during the pandemic.
2. Cloth Napkins and Linens Look Nicer
Dining habits have changed during the pandemic, making take-out and to-go the norm. Tablecloths, placemats, and cloth napkins create an inviting ambiance, helping restaurants lure diners back to their favorite tables. This is especially important with Valentine’s Day approaching. According to the National Restaurant Association, February 14th is the second most popular holiday for dining out. Not to mention, according to a survey sponsored by Milliken, 50% of respondents reported expecting to pay more for a meal if the restaurant had cloth napkins!
Be sure to offer your restaurant customers a plethora of color options to create a romantic dining room atmosphere for their Valentine’s Day diners.
3. Reusable Products are Cost-Effective
Diners quickly go through cheap paper napkins, and the costs add up. A switch to cloth napkins will save restaurants money, a welcome cost-cutting idea since it doesn’t involve changing the menu. Thus, partnering with a trusted industrial launderer or rental service, like you, is the cost-efficient option, saving them time and money when it comes to washing, folding and ironing.
4. Reusable Linens are Sustainable
Anything restaurants can do to differentiate themselves during the pandemic dining scene can help keep their business afloat. The same survey from Milliken found that 84% of consumers associate cloth napkins in a restaurant with being environmentally friendly, a characteristic that’s important to many American consumers.
Plus, by switching to cloth napkins, a restaurant doesn’t just give off the impression of being eco-friendly; it actually becomes more eco-friendly. Disposable napkins or table coverings, while convenient, aren’t very sustainable. Most, covered in grease and food, end up in a landfill.
Partner with Venus to Expand Your Reusable Textile Offerings
Expand your cloth table linen and cloth napkin rental offerings by turning to Venus Group. We manufacture and sell the table coverings, napkins, and placemats your restaurant clients need to encourage diners to come back inside safely. Choose from a wide range of colors to accommodate everything from everyday dining to special requests like pink, red or peach napkins for Valentine’s Day.
Call us today at 800.421.6599, or email us at sales@venusgroup.com.