Blog posts from November, 2014

Bone China is a fantastic addition to five star restaurants, high-end event venues and party rental companies that service the affluent luxury events. It sets the tone for the event by showcasing the translucent opulence that exists in the dinnerware line. When a company is looking into purchasing bone china dinnerware for their establishments, one of the most important questions they ask is "how much does bone china dinnerware cost in Canada?" This blog post attempts to answer that important question so companies have an idea how much they should be budgeting for the purchase.

Bone china dinnerware in Canada is sold in numerous different dinner pieces including but not limited to: tea cup and saucer, side plate, rim soup plate, and dinner plate. For consistency, I will reference a traditional 5 piece place setting of a dinner plate, salad plate, rim soup plate, tea cup and saucer.

A bone china dinner plate will vary in price in Canada from $7.95 to $51.75. A bone china rim soup plate will vary in price in Canada from $6.95 to $73.50. A bone china side plate will vary in price in Canada from $4.95 to $25.50. A bone china tea cup will vary in price in Canada from $3.95 to $33.75. Last but not least a bone china saucer will vary in price in Canada from $3.95 to $18.00. As a result of the wide range of costs, a 5pc set will range in price from $27.75 to $135.00. The difference in cost for all of these items is very much dependent on the brand name, whether it’s a retail or wholesale location, and if there’s any patterns associated with the bone china dinnerware.

Hopefully this blog post provides you with the answers you need to begin the purchasing process.

So you live in Vancouver, BC and you’re looking for a way to lower your current restaurant costs for tabletop supplies. OR perhaps you’re looking to extend your budget by sourcing lower cost restaurant dishes or melamine serveware – whatever the situation may be, once you know you're ready to move forward, the next step is finding the right restaurant supply for the project.

Considering we've supplied hundreds of convention centers, hotel restaurants and full-service standalone restaurants in the Vancouver area over the past few years, as well as the fact that we've seen so many other restaurant supply stores and their products/service, we're happy to give our thoughts on some of the better restaurant supply stores in the city.

As you're likely aware, we at National Event Supply have been expanding our target market from nationwide party rental companies across Canada to restaurants. Selling direct to restaurants instead of through a distributor model allows us to offer the same quality tabletop supplies as the major brands, without all the middlemen taking a cut of the total cost. Although factory-direct wholesalers have been popping up to meet the restaurant industry’s needs for years, there are some occasions (due to kickbacks, one-stop shop, immediacy etc.) where a restaurant supply store makes sense over a wholesaler. In a case like this, we'd recommend you consider the following companies:

1. Puddifoot:

Based on Rand Avenue by Fraser River Park in Southlands, Puddifoot is well known for distributing very high-end dinnerware lines such as the Patra and Nikko brands as well as custom designs and productions by request.

2. Hendrix Foodservice Equipment:

Based out of Brockville, ON with two locations in British Columbia including one on the east side of the Trans-Canada Hwy, Hendrix Foodservice Equipment offers the largest one-stop shop collection on this list of foodservice equipment, food prep, smallwares, chef knives, tabletop & serving, furniture etc.

3. Pacific Restaurant Supply:

Based in the neighbourhood of Hastings on E Cordova Street in Vancouver, Pacific Restaurant Supply is not only a restaurant supply company but also help clients design and build their restaurants along with a full service custom stainless fabrication and installation company allowing custom installations.

So there you have it, an honest assessment of some of the best restaurant supply stores in Vancouver.

Questions or comments? Please feel free to leave your thoughts below.

Photo source: P.S. Event Rentals

Dark Fruitwood Chiavari Chairs are one of the darker types of wood Chiavari chairs that work beautifully with crisp white linens and can pair nicely in décor settings that need a richer true brown instead of mahogany colour. If your event venue or party rental company is in the market for new dark fruitwood Chiavari chairs, one of the first questions that probably comes to mind is “how much do dark fruitwood Chiavari chairs cost in Canada?” This article will attempt to answer this important question so venues and event rental companies can properly budget for their purchases.

The short answer for a dark fruitwood Chiavari chair’s cost is: it depends.

But we’re not just going to leave you hanging. The range in cost for a dark fruitwood Chiavari chair in Canada is $36.95 – $96.47. The range varies so dramatically in cost because there are a number of U.S. companies selling into Canada that appear to have baked the duties into the cost. These same companies also feature the very highest cost in the price range for less than 24 chairs in an attempt to prohibit consumer purchases or purchases of a lower quantity.

Because Chiavari chairs, regardless of whether it is a wood Chiavari chair or resin Chiavari chair is shipped on skids, the cost of shipping tends to be more than a normal consumer shipping purchase – for say a pair of shoes or clothing. To give an estimate for how much additional shipping cost you should budget for your chairs, shipping for 100 chairs would cost about 15-25% of the order, assuming it is going to a major centre

If you'd like to know more about dark fruitwood Chiavari chairs or any other type of Chiavari chair for that matter, we're ready to help get you informed to make the very best event equipment selection for your particular needs. Contact us for pricing or check out some of our other Chiavari chair articles for additional information:

• What Size Truck to Transport Chiavari Chairs?
• Wood Chiavari Chairs vs. Resin Chiavari Chairs
• How to Store Chiavari Chairs

By now you probably know that there are two types of materials used most often for wedding-style folding chairs: resin folding chairs and wood folding chairs. Wood folding chairs have typically been the material of choice for event venues and rental companies however resin folding chairs have been gaining steam over the past 5 years.

In today's post, I'm going to provide an honest comparison of the two and then let you determine for yourself which folding chair makes the most sense for your business.

Below is a detailed comparison of these two including the pros and cons of each type.

Wood Folding Chairs

Pros:

• During informal stress tests, breaks at 748lbs of weight
• Lower initial cost to purchase
• Slightly lighter in weight 9.1 lbs
• Stackable when folded flat
• Seat is replaceable

Cons:

• Shows scratches more easily when the wood is stained as the interior of the wood is light
• Need to be secured with bungee cords or ratchet tie down straps as wood folding chairs don’t lock together when stacked and will move unless secured
• Screw covers are not replaceable
• Screw covers are not flush with wood
• Higher maintenance costs associated (wood needs to be sanded and repainted or re-stained to properly maintain)

Resin Folding Chairs

Pros:

• During informal stress tests, breaks at 748lbs of weight
• Stackable when folded flat and locks in place to other chairs – requiring no additional straps
• Doesn't show scratches due to resin being same colour throughout chair
• Low maintenance cost
• Screw covers are replaceable
• Screw covers flush with resin
• Seat is replaceable

Cons:

• Higher initial cost to purchase
• Slightly heavier in weight 9.9lbs
• Can yellow with age

Each chair is a popular chair in their own right and have plenty of fans. Hopefully this comparison post will give you the information you need to make the decision that’s right for you and your business.

It seems as though in the past few years there has been an onslaught of burger joints that have hit the foodservice scene. What more is there to say about this than “it’s about time guys”! Who doesn’t love a nice juicy burger? Add to that gourmet toppings, craft brews and fantastic atmospheres and you’ve got all the makings of a perfect meal. Burger-obsessed chefs already think burger thoughts throughout the day – why not bring burgers into all aspects of their lives? To celebrate the burger-obsessed chef in your life we’ve rounded up some of the best burger inspired Christmas gifts for you to get a jump start on your holiday season.

1. For those in need of some punchy décor to brighten up their burger restaurant – the ‘Slider’ Print

2. Obviously a burger inspired wardrobe is needed – Eat, Sleep, Burger T-Shirt

3. In the quest for the perfect burger, anything with bacon helps the cause – Skillet Bacon Spread

4. Burger squeaky toy for the animal loving burger chef

5. Definitely need an “I heart burgers” apron so the eat sleep burger t-shirt stays clean

6. I Love You Burger Temporary Tattoo – to declare their undying love

7. If the burger obsessed chef isn't already watching Bob's Burgers—he/she needs to—NOW

8. Road trips are always better when there’s a goal – how about 150 of the best burger joints in America? George Motz wrote a book called Hamburger America: A State-by-State Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints

9. For any thank you notes, gift cards for the restaurant or anything in between – a burger-obsessed chef needs a great quality notecard

10. No one can ever have enough socks—and burgers on your socks make for a great conversation starter