Blog posts from July, 2015

For those not familiar with this dinnerware line, Pearl White Dinnerware is our budget friendly dinnerware collection for party rental companies, banquet halls and restaurants. It features straight lines, classic styling and offers the ability for any company in need of tabletop supplies to lower their operating expenses associated with their dishes.

Early this event season we had a customer completely wipe us out of a number of our pearl white dinnerware items by requiring thousands of pieces for an event. We placed another order almost immediately and I’m pleased to announce that our Pearl White dinnerware is now back in stock!

Now back in stock:

• Pearl White 6” Side Plate – $1.10
• Pearl White 7.5” Dessert Plate – $1.20
• Pearl White 9” Salad Plate – $1.50
• Pearl White 10.25” Dinner Plate – $2.50
• Pearl White 6” Bowl – $1.55
• Pearl White Soup Plate – $1.85
• Pearl White Rim Soup Plate – $1.85
• Pearl White Bell Cup & Saucer – $2.00
• Pearl White Can Cup & Saucer – $2.00

Reliable line cooks can be hard to find between the lazy and entitled line cooks out there. Finding a good cook that fits in with the team and has the work ethic and motivation to work in a restaurant are worth their weight in gold. But actually finding them is another story. Here’s some tips to use when weeding through the applicants as heard through this Reddit thread.

Look in-house for star performers

People in house more than likely already get along with the team and have an idea of how the back of house functions. Reddit user valicat has great advice “Check out the Dishwashers. They're trainable, they'll do anything you tell them, they already have a sense for how things work at your restaurant, and they probably are dying to not be dishwashers anymore.”

Create a short quiz for reading comprehension among other things

Providing a brief 10 minute questionnaire and asking questions like “why use a water bath for dessert” – not only will this give you an idea of their knowledge levels for cooking but it can also give you an idea of their attitudes. Some cooks may think a test is beneath them and that’s what you’re looking to weed out. You want a line cook with a passion for cooking and who wants to be a sponge and learn everything they can get their hands on.

Reddit user Nonyabiness states (NSFW) “One of the places I worked at in the past had exactly this, except it was a 5 or so page written test. They were very competitive and one of the best places in town.

Asked questions about how to make the basic mother sauces, proper food storage, temps for different proteins, etc. Even a few questions like "It's a busy Friday night and "x" happens. What do you do?"

It was a pain in the ass to sit there for an hour and complete the test, but I'll tell you that every cook in that kitchen was spot fucking on. The test was a great way to weed out idiots, and the lazy people would see the test and just walk out the door.”

Do a test run

This will quickly weed out who can follow a recipe, keep their station organized and clean etc. It also helps show how logical they are, how they interact with other staff, and whether they can organize cooking times to ensure all aspects of a meal hit the plate at the same time. From Reddit user JacquesBo’s experience, a test run can definitely be of benefit to you. “We did a test run with a guy, couldn't follow a recipe, or the notes he wrote himself, or damn near anything else. Lasted 2 shifts!”

Qualities to look for:

Look for willingness to learn, passion for cooking, honesty, work ethic, and task comprehension. As Reddit user Che_FJ says “longevity - 2-3 years in a previous job is almost too good to ask for now, I look for someone who left their job for a better one (not necessarily a better paying job) and how they left the first job.” If you take the time to train someone who’s got a desire to learn you might end up with a line cook like Reddit user hudson27 “I went for an interview at 18, with a BS resume and only a few years kitchen experience (mostly dishwashing and prep). The chef asked me to go through the motions of julienning an onion. I had no idea what I was doing, and they immediately turned me down.

Next day, I went to another interview, and they asked me some other relatively basic kitchen question, and I just had to tell them that I had little experience or knowledge on the line. He asked me, "But you want to learn? And you want to cook? That and honesty is pretty rare in young kids today, you got the job."

Been working there 3 years now and am about to go for my culinary arts degree next fall. More importantly though, my chef loves me because he trained me to do everything his way, and I'm always asking him questions and learning more.”

Hopefully this article gave you a start for how to hire a good line cook to join your back of house!

We’ve written about Aluminum Chiavari Chairs in the past, and there is certainly a business case for a company buying aluminum chairs. But we also like to talk about the problems that can be associated with products – so that prospective buyers have a real idea of what they can expect in the product they’re buying. This time around we’re talking about the problems associated with aluminum chiavari chairs.

Seams may be spot welded instead of fully welded

This may just be in our experience, but the only reason we don’t stock aluminum Chiavari chairs is we haven’t managed - in the 10 years the current management has owned the business – to find a supplier that could weld the chair in a way that the chair looked good. More often than not the aluminum Chiavari’s we’ve seen show noticeable weld spots.

Because of the softness of the metal, seats tend to feature permanent cushions with fixed plywood base to avoid seat damage

While not a structural problem per-se, picky brides will definitely object to this kind of seat as it doesn’t match a traditional wood Chiavari design. Also, from a rental inventory point of view, there’s no easy way to clean the cushion if it gets red wine on it. And it’s going to get red wine on it. Let’s be honest!

Metal material shows scratches with bare metal

With resin Chiavari chairs, the chair is of a similar resin to the core of the chair – meaning if a resin gold chair is scratched it’s not as noticeable. With a gold aluminum Chiavari, if the chair is scratched, the grey aluminum is showing through.

Water can cause damage to finish

Metal is a material that when exposed to water for periods of time can cause rusting to occur. Wood chiavari’s would have a similar problem with water though instead of rusting, other damage would occur like warping, expansion etc.

Often, only 1 horizontal chair rail instead of the traditional 2 horizontal chair rails

It varies from seller to seller but the most common chair design seen in the aluminum Chiavari chair is one rail on the front and sides of the chair, instead of the more traditional Chiavari design of two rails on each side and front.

Hopefully this post helps you understand the problems associated with aluminum Chiavari chairs so you can make an informed purchasing decision.

Wedding chair covers whether made of polyester, spandex or satin, are a great addition to any rental inventory. They’re inexpensive to rent out but quickly add up when your customer has 100 – 200 chairs to cover. They also can be a great upsell for you that will help protect your chair & cushion investment. After you’ve determined that wedding chair covers are your next purchase, the next question sure to be on your list is “how much do wedding chair covers cost in Canada?” We’ll answer that question for you in the article below so you are able to gain a better understanding of the budget you’ll need to purchase your wedding chair covers.

As there are three different materials that wedding chair covers are made of, we’ve broken the article down into cost of polyester wedding chair covers, cost of spandex wedding chair covers and cost of satin wedding chair covers.

Cost of polyester wedding chair covers in Canada

Generally the most basic look for wedding chair covers (and most easily decorated), the average cost of polyester wedding chair covers in Canada ranges from $3.49 – $4.95 not including taxes or shipping. The cost ranges due to the thickness of the fabric being used, the size of chair it can cover and the brand distributing the product.

Cost of spandex wedding chair covers in Canada

Spandex chair covers are wonderful for a clean, sleek look that a contemporary event demands. The average cost of spandex wedding chair covers in Canada ranges from $3.99 - $8.87 not including taxes and shipping. The cost ranges due to the amount of fabric needed, the thickness of the fabric being used and the brand distributing the product.

Cost of satin wedding chair covers in Canada

Satin wedding chair covers offer a luxury look and often include sash as well. The average cost of satin wedding chair covers in Canada ranges from $2.99 - $5.75 not including taxes and shipping. The cost again ranges due to the amount of fabric needed, the thickness of the fabric being used and the brand distributing the product.

Hopefully this post gives you an idea of the approximate costs to be associating to your new wedding chair cover budget.

Spandex folding chair covers are a god-send for party rental companies, banquet halls and other event venues as they help extend the life of a folding chair investment. They also provide a cohesive look for a wedding and can be decorated with décor to create a visually appealing space. Every product has its pros and cons, and while we don’t (currently) stock spandex folding chair covers, we know that our customers buy them and want to know what are the positives and negatives of the chair cover in question. We want to provide our readers with an unbiased look at the pros and cons of spandex folding chair covers so that they can decide if the wedding chair cover is a product they’d like to invest in. Here are the pros and cons of spandex folding chair covers.

Pros:

• Has a sleek, modern shape
• Easily decorated with sashes
• Machine washable
• Stain and wrinkle resistant

Cons:

• Only fits Samsonite style plastic folding chairs – doesn’t fit white resin or white wood folding chairs, or any padded folding chairs normally used in offices or churches.
• Guests can’t place their personal items under the chair
• More expensive than satin or polyester folding chair covers