Blog posts from October, 2016

Stainless steel cutlery is a staple to any stand-alone restaurant, restaurant in a hotel, or golf course, banquet hall or party rental that deals in tabletop supplies. There are three main types of stainless steel cutlery that exists in the market – 18/10 stainless steel cutlery, 18/8 stainless steel cutlery and 18/0 stainless steel cutlery. The “18” number refers to the percentage of Chromium in the stainless steel flatware. Chromium is a strong durable metal that gives cutlery its hardness. The “10” or “0” number is the percentage of nickel in the flatware. Nickel gives the cutlery corrosion resistant properties, is very expensive and gives cutlery its shine and luster. The nickel helps stainless steel cutlery mimic the shine silver plated cutlery possesses. We’ve written about the difference between 18/10 and 18/0 cutlery so this post delves more into what pros and cons 18/0 stainless steel cutlery has – and which style of restaurants tend to favour 18/0 cutlery.

Pros of 18/0 Stainless Steel Cutlery:

• Less expensive then 18/10 cutlery because lack of nickel content
• Still possesses durability for everyday use
• Dishwasher safe

Cons of 18/0 Stainless Steel Cutlery:

• Can rust more quickly due to lack of high nickel content
• Doesn’t have the same high polish shine that fine dining restaurants would look for
• Can stain more easily due to lack of high nickel content

For casual restaurants or high volume events / restaurants, choosing an 18/0 cutlery will work well with its soft sheen and economic value. It will allow you to wash them in the dishwasher multiple times a day, while allowing you to keep your costs down when they accidently get thrown in the garbage! Higher end fine dining restaurants or rental companies who service a luxury clientele will be happier with 18/10 flatware for its high shine and stain resistance. That being said we corrosion-test all our cutlery over a 3 day process and have chosen a supplier who provides 18/0 cutlery that didn’t rust during our in-house testing.

https://www.theknot.com/

Gold Chiavari chairs are the hottest event chair this season. We haven’t been able to keep them in stock and have had a solid list of back orders practically the entire year. With the season slowing down a bit I thought it made sense to write a post showcasing the pros and cons of gold resin Chiavari chairs versus gold wood Chiavari chairs. We’re anticipating gold Chiavari chairs will still be popular into 2017 so this post will give businesses who haven’t purchased gold Chiavari chairs yet, the chance to review which chair best suits their business needs. Read on for the comparison.

Gold Resin Chiavari Chairs

Pros:

• 4mm thick resin and 1mm thick hollow steel frame support (ours has a steel frame to provide additional support and durability – not all Gold Resin Chiavari’s do though)
• Seams are virtually invisible
• Resin at the core is a similar colour to the gold coating colour and because of that does not show scratches as easily as wood or aluminum (i.e. gold high gloss finish when scratched would show a gold toned core)
• Solid resin seat allowing for easy change out of cushions
• 2 horizontal chair rails similar to the traditional Chiavari chair look
• Resin Chiavari chairs can hold over 1000lbs making them an extremely strong chair
• Resin less likely to succumb to water damage if accidently left out to the elements

Cons:

• Generally more expensive than a wood or aluminum Chiavari chair – but also tend to last longer
• Cannot be re-painted or re-stained as easily as a wood Chiavari
• Chairs weigh 13lbs each – tend to weigh more than wood or aluminum – especially if there’s a steel core frame
• Not all resin Chiavari chairs are the same chair – which leads to confusion in the marketplace

Gold Wood Chiavari Chairs

Pros:

• The authentic Chiavari Chair – over 200 years old – has always been wood
• Gold Wood Chiavari Chairs have a matte finish which some companies really like
• Wood Chiavari chairs are easier to re-finish
• Weigh less than a resin Chiavari chair
• Less expensive chair than a resin Chiavari chair
• Costs can be reduced further with knocked down unassembled wood Chiavari chairs

Cons:

• Gold Wood Chiavari Chair shows a natural wood colour when it chips or scratches
• Knocked down unassembled gold wood Chiavari chairs need their screws tightened often
• Knocked down unassembled gold wood Chiavari chairs can be less sturdy / strong if proper care isn’t taken to ensure the screws and bolts are fastened.
• Wood Chiavari Chairs often need their paint touched up after events
• Can succumb to water damage if left outside for prolonged periods of time

Fall is one of the best times of year for produce and consumers absolutely love menu items that remind them of the changing season. Sometimes having a list of the current produce in season can help a caterer or restaurant properly develop locally targeted menus while still targeting fall trends (like pumpkin spiced everything). We’ve put together a list of what’s in season in Ontario during October along with some related recipes for inspiration. Check it out below!

1. Crab Apple & Brown Butter Pudding

Photo: http://kirantarun.com/

Recipe here.

2. Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad

Photo: https://barefootcontessa.com/

Recipe here.

3. Savory Pumpkin Pizza

Photo: http://lovelolablog.com/

AKA the best pizza you will ever eat. Recipe here.

4. Sage Butter Lemon Roasted Chicken in Goat Milk With Brussels Sprout Pasta

Photo: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Doesn’t it just scream a cozy fall meal? Recipe here.

5. Roasted Parmesan Pesto Potatoes

photo: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/

Recipe here.

6. Smoky Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Spiralized Apple Slaw

photo: http://www.howsweeteats.com/

On pretzel buns, with maple mustard. Are you salivating yet? Recipe here.

7. Cranberry Margaritas

Photo: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/

Goes great with turkey and stuffing I bet! Recipe here.

Hopefully some of these recipes have got your creative juices flowing. If there’s any extras, you know where to find us!

Part of a party rental business as well as a catering business is winning exclusive or preferred vendor deals with event venues. Having your ear to the ground to keep alert to new venue openings gives your company a better likelihood of getting into a venue before they’ve determined their preferred vendors. Here is the list of the best new Toronto Venues of the year so far:

Batch

In March 2016, Creemore Springs opened its own brew pub, Batch, in response to the increase in demand for craft beer. The 2500 square foot space, located in a former heritage building, offers four different seating areas (the main bar, the café, a back dining room with stage, and 50-seat private dining room) available for full buyouts, private dining, or semi-private dining. The overall space, which holds 400 for receptions, has a upscale, well-designed sports bar feel with several large screen televisions for game watching, as well as a ping-pong table downstairs.

Cresta

Cresta opened in Toronto’s historic St. Lawrence Market in March 2016. House in a 19th century heritage building and a new building, the space offers four event and dining areas: a bar, lower-level dining that seats 75, a 60-seat mezzanine, and a 150-seat patio – all available for private or semi-private events. With over 6500 square feet, the restaurant takes on a contemporary look and feel with floor-to-ceiling windows on both the ground and mezzanine levels, along with a circular bar. The mezzanine level in particular offers the privacy of an exclusive event while looking over the ground floor bar – keeping the energy of the room alive.

East Room

The 8,000 square foot shared workspace, East Room, opened in Toronto’s growing East End of Riverside and doubles as an event venue. The gorgeously designed space featuring plush leather chairs and booths, antique wood treasures and vintage décor includes commercial surround sound, WiFi, televisions and a kitchen. The venue includes a variety of different rooms and capacities including the 3,500-square-foot East Room Lounge that holds 550 for receptions or seats 400; the East Room Second Floor accommodates 150 for receptions or 220 seated; and the East Room Boardroom seats 15.

The Rooftop Lounge at Thompson Toronto Hotel

The Rooftop Lounge at Thompson Toronto re-opened summer 2016 features an infinity pool deck overlooking sweeping views of the Toronto Skyline. The reception capacity for the entire indoor/outdoor space is 238. If used separately, the indoor space can hold receptions for 112 guests; the outdoor space holds 126 standing.

Wine Academy

Private social club Wine Academy opened its doors in June 2016 in the heart of the financial district. The venue, which is 17 and a half feet under street level, is a 6,000-square-foot modern, industrial, and polished event venue. The two-­story space features a state­-of-­the­-art private wine cellar (which holds up to 105,000 bottles), storage lockers, and lots of decorative old wine barrels. The space accommodates 150 for cocktails or 175 seated, with a multitude of event spaces for full or partial rentals, including 55 for cocktails in the main lounge, 12 for cocktails in the main tasting bar, 19 for cocktails in the banquette area, and 10 seated in the boardroom.

Lavelle

Lavelle, a 16,000 sq ft rooftop restaurant and pool lounge, opened in July 2016 on the King West strip. The venue overlooks the downtown core with breathtaking views of Toronto and features one of the longest rooftop infinity pools in North America. The space features a swing set above the city, a green garden rooftop area, salvaged Canadian wood furnishes, and a retractable glass wall leading to the pool deck. With a capacity for 250 seated or 300 for cocktails in the interior area and capacity for 150 people on the patio; it can also accommodate full buyouts for 400 people. The entire venue features three bars, two wading pools plus a central infinity pool, a dining room, private dining room, outdoor patio and size private cabanas.

The most popular type of event chair we sell has always been the white resin folding chair. It has such a classic style and is an elegant, stylish and affordable alternative to a more expensive chiavari chair. Because of this, party rental companies, event venues, and golf courses buy thousands every year to appease special event coordinators and brides. Because of this classic event chair silhouette, I thought it made sense to provide an honest comparison between a white wood folding chair versus a white resin folding chair. This will let you decide what folding chair you feel makes the most sense for your business – while providing a transparent look at the pros and cons of each kind of chair.

Below is a detailed comparison of the resin vs wood folding chair.

White 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
• Harder to repair – more likely to have to replace

White Wood Folding Chairs

Pros:

• Lower initial cost to purchase
• Slightly lighter in weight 9.1 lbs
• Stackable when folded flat
• Seat is replaceable should it be stained or ripped
• Easy to repair as wood can be sanded and re-painted

Cons:

• Shows scratches easily when the wood is painted as wood interior 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)

Each folding chair has plenty of fans and has widespread penetration into the special events market. Whichever chair you decide upon will be a popular chair for your rental inventory or will provide you with lots of event business. Hopefully this comparison post will give you the information you need to make the decision that’s right for you and your business.