Blog posts from June, 2014

Back in January and then again in May/June, the prominent Foodservice magazines in Canada along with Statistics Canada and the NPD Group, released their forecast of the industry for 2014. There’s a plethora of information – so much so it can be overwhelming. To focus on some of the most pertinent information, we’ve compiled an infographic to make it easier for everyone to consume. Check it out below!

We hope this infographic helps you with your menu planning and forecasting for the remainder of 2014.

Over the three and a half years we’ve been publishing this blog, we’ve been subscribing to the belief that our customers and potential customers deserve to have the knowledge needed in order to make informed decisions. This means being transparent and answering the questions asked of us by our clients. Because of that, we’ve been consistently answering common questions related to our products such as how much does a plastic folding table cost, how strong is a wood folding table, and what’s the difference between a plastic folding table vs a wood folding table. Below rounds up in an easy to reference list the definitive party rental guide to folding tables.

Folding Tables 101:

• The 8 most important questions to ask before buying plastic folding tables
• 5 problems with wood folding tables
• 5 problems with plastic folding tables
• Banquet Table Seating Capacities
• The Advantages of Plastic Folding Tables
• How Far Apart Should Round Folding Tables be Setup?

Folding Table Cost:

• How much do folding tables cost in Canada?
• How much do wood folding tables cost?

Folding Table Weight Capacity:

• How much weight can a 60” round plastic folding table hold?
• How much weight can a Lifetime 6ft Commercial Plastic Folding Table hold?
• How strong are your 6ft rectangular plastic folding tables?
• How strong are 8ft rectangular wood folding tables?
• How strong are 8ft plastic folding tables?
• How strong are Tall Plastic Folding Cocktail Tables?
• How strong are Plastic Card Tables?

Folding Table Durability / Quality:

• The Durability of a Plastic Banquet Table – Exposed 357 Days to the Canadian Elements
• What are Wood Folding Tables Made Of?
• Not All Wood Folding Tables are the Same

Folding Table Maintenance & Storage:

• What to do when the top layer of a wood table is cracked and peeling
• How to Store Round Folding Tables
• How to Store Rectangle Folding Tables
• How to Clean Plastic Folding Tables
• How to Assemble a Cruiser Table Cart
• How Many Cruiser Tables Fit in a Cruiser Table Cart

Folding Table Reviews:

• McCourt Manufacturing vs. Palmer Snyder Banquet Tables
• Cocktail Tables vs. Cruiser Tables
• Wood Folding Tables vs. Plastic Folding Tables

Did we miss any burning questions you may have? Don’t be shy – we don’t bite! Tweet us at @NatlEventSupply, Like our page on Facebook and comment on our wall or send us an email at sales (at) nationaleventsupply.com with your question!

Special Events Magazine recently wrote an article in their May/June 2014 issue on Youth events. In the article they mention that budgets for children’s events are slightly larger than they were two or three years ago. This article got me thinking about children’s events and the different kinds of event rental inventory that goes along with them. It had me wondering if there is a Canadian market for children’s event furniture rentals.

It is pretty safe to say that the inflatables market is alive and well and not going anywhere. While in the United States, and especially in the larger income centers such as New York and Los Angeles, party rental companies offer child-size Chiavari chairs, child-size white resin folding chairs and folding tables, I don’t (as often) come across these items in Canada. Why is this? Is it because we’re more conservative in spending as a society as a whole? Could it be argued we’re more pragmatic in how we choose to spend our money – preferring to spend it on home equity, investments, and travel experiences rather than extravagant parties for children who may – or may not – remember it in the future? Or is it that the vast wealth tends to populate in the United States?

I don’t currently have children but I suspect that even if I did, I wouldn’t be the target market for child-size chairs or tables. In my limited experience, children tend not to sit still long enough to warrant me spending a fairly substantial cost to rent Chiavari chairs or white resin folding chairs for them. The pragmatist in me would say my children can sit on the lawn or on plastic folding chairs along with their friends and friend’s parents.

At National Event Supply, we don’t have a definitive answer to this question. We’re anxious to hear what you have to say. At this point in time we’ve received a few inquiries regarding child size Chiavari chairs and child size white resin folding chairs but not enough demand to warrant stocking and selling them to the Canadian Market. What are your thoughts on this? Do you have a lot of requests for child-sized event furniture? Do you agree or disagree with my statements? Let me know in the comments. I’m eager to hear what you have to say.

Buying restaurant dishes and other restaurant supplies is just one of the multitudes of tasks restaurant operators and chefs have to deal with. Figuring out if there’s a difference between wholesale restaurant supply stores versus a regular restaurant supply is frankly not high on the list. That’s why we’re writing this post – so you don’t have to figure it out yourselves.

Wholesale Restaurant Supply Stores:

• Buy direct from factory
• Stock warehouses full of inventory to avoid shipping delays (as much as possible)
• Same/next day shipping
• No large corporations behind them to set pricing on their behalf
• Better ability to facilitate custom orders with direct relationships to factories
• In-house brands versus name brands such as Steelite, Dudson, Royal Dalton, Libby, Browne or Oneida
• Open stock allows most products to be purchased in small or very large quantities
• Comparable quality items without the multiple markups (sometimes 3 or more markups)

Restaurant Supply:

• Buy either direct from the Brand manufacturer or through a master distributor for the manufacturer
• Have an extremely large number of items generally with small quantities in stock
• Can have same/next day shipping if in stock. If not in stock could be 2-4 weeks or much longer for less prominent dish lines
• Stock brand names such as Steelite, Dudson, Libby, Oneida, etc and price based on manufacturer’s suggested wholesale price
• Are usually more expensive as a result of major brand name pricing
• Often have minimum quantities you need to buy – i.e. buy restaurant dinnerware in case packs

Hopefully this clears up any confusion on the differences amongst the two. Whomever you buy from, make sure regardless of whether they mark themselves as wholesale restaurant supplies, that they offer value for the quality offered, customer service that makes you happy and stock the inventory you require.

Tents in Canada are a fantastic option for outdoor events when you want the assurance that no elements will get in the way of the day’s activities. Because of this, and because of the seasons the majority of Canada experiences, a large portion of party rental companies have either already invested in tents to rent out or are seriously considering adding in the near future.

I found this infographic on the different types of tent options for every occasion. While I don’t feel this infographic is nearly inclusive enough on all the different types of tents that exist, it does provide a good overview of why one may choose a frame tent over a pole tent for example. It also showcases additional upsell items that it might make sense to offer as part of your rental inventory. If you have a blog, I’d suggest including this on your blog as a way to add additional value to your potential customers. It may help them have a better understanding of the tents and accessories available before they rent.

Additional accessories you should consider promoting to your clients to go along with a tent rental include folding tables for their event, Chiavari chairs or white resin folding chairs, as well as the different banquet tablecloths that they may need.