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Everyone wants to make sure that the products they buy are good quality products and because of that the stress test series was born. It has become one of our most popular blog series as it showcases how strong the products we sell are.

Continuing on with our stress testing series, we have a new video for you today. Because of how well-known Lifetime Products brand is, we often get asked how our tables compare to them. Last week, we showcased our 6ft fold in half table by stress testing the table using 44lb bags of salt until the table broke. This week’s post shows a video of us testing the lifetime 6 foot fold in half table to see how strong a lifetime fold in half table is. Check it out below!

Let me preface this blog post by saying we do not sell restaurant uniforms. We do however sell tabletop supplies to restaurants and other hospitality companies across Canada. As a company, we’re all about providing our customers with need to know, relevant information so they can easily and efficiently make decisions for their foodservice operation which is the reason for this post.

Because restaurant uniforms are one of the many ways guests judge a restaurant, ensuring the front of the house staff is putting their best foot forward is of utmost importance to any operator. It’s human nature to want the best of whatever product you’re purchasing so we’ve rounded up an unbiased viewpoint of the best suppliers of restaurant uniforms in Canada.

1. Canadian Linen and Uniform Service

Headquartered in Toronto, ON Canadian Linen and Uniform service is one of the largest uniform and linen supply companies in North America. They operate more than 115 production facilities and service centers throughout the US and Canada and service nearly 150,000 customers every week. They service the hospitality, automotive and manufacturing industries. One of the more flexible suppliers out there, they offer full service rental, flex lease and purchase of restaurant and chef uniforms. They offer customizations, and in some instances laundering, repairs and upgrades.

2. Cintas

Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, Cintas is a global company operating more than 430 facilities in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, including six manufacturing plants and nine distribution centres. Some of their more well-known customers include McDonalds, W Hotels and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Like Canadian Linen and Uniform Service they give restaurants the option to rent, lease, buy or have uniforms designed for a custom one of a kind look. Personalization is also available.

3. Lotus Uniforms

With warehouses in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON (just like us!), Lotus Uniforms has an ecommerce website allowing restaurants to shop 24/7 for whatever restaurant uniforms they desire. They offer restaurant uniforms, aprons and chef wear with free shipping on orders of 48 + pieces. They provide logo work in the form of embroidery, screen printing and digital printing.

4. Blue Riband Uniforms Inc

Located in Quebec, Blue Riband Uniforms inc features an impressive client list including (but not limited to) Etihad Airways Lounge staff, Compass Group, The Ritz-Carlton, Hilton Hotel and Sunwest Aviation. They have a wide range of bar & banqueting uniforms, aprons, chef and food preparation uniforms. They also offer uniform personalization in the form of tabbing, badges, screen printing and embroidery.

5. Chef Works Canada

One of the only companies on this list that caters exclusively to the foodservice industry, Chef Works is headquartered just outside of Toronto and has over 200 distributors across the country. They have a fantastic style guide that gives foodservice operators options to visually decide on, an ecommerce site to shop 24/7, personalization available and some of the broadest range of restaurant uniforms around. They don’t offer rent, lease or laundering options if that is a need of yours.

When we first introduced our spandex table covers back in January of 2014 we brought in 6ft rectangle spandex, 8ft rectangle spandex, and spandex cocktail table covers that fit 30” round cruiser tables and 32” plastic folding cocktail tables. We knew that spandex table cloths were something of interest to party rental companies, event venues, hotels and golf courses but were unsure of how popular they would be.

The 30” spandex cocktail table covers turned out to be an even bigger hit than we initially thought possibly and with that addition to our inventory, we started getting more requests for other sizes available.

I’m pleased to announce we now have 24 inch spandex cocktail table covers in stock.

Available in black, white and ivory, these spandex cocktail table covers fit cruiser tables that are 42 inches high, have a 4 pronged X base and a 24 inch diameter round tabletop. They’re a fantastic addition to any event space for cocktail receptions and can be dressed up with multi-coloured sashes and bling.

We are the first to admit that no product is perfect but the product is perfect for your needs. What one company may hate, another company is in love with – especially in the events industry. Some party rental companies swear only by wood folding chairs while others swear only by resin folding chairs. What we like to do is educate and inform our prospects and customers of the pros and cons of products so they know exactly what type of product they’re dealing with before purchasing.

Event Chairs and Banquet tables can be quite a large purchase so we want to make sure our customers are able to choose the right product for their business. We’ve previously talked about the problems that exist with white resin folding chairs. Today’s post deals with the problems associated with Wood Folding Chairs.

1. Scratches show easily

Because wood folding chairs are made of pale wood and stained or painted to finish, event rental wear and tear by guests or transport can cause scratches to occur to the chair. Resin folding chairs don’t have the same problem as their colour is solid to the core. Some event rental companies prefer a wood folding chair though as wear and tear can be sanded and re-finished with a little work. Because of the nature of the material used, more general maintenance is required.

2. Don’t self-lock in place when stacked

Resin folding chairs are manufactured so that when they are stacked on top of one another they lock in place preventing movement. Wood folding chairs aren’t manufactured the same way and because of this don’t have the ability to lock in place when stacked on a chair cart. This can be rectified by a party rental company buying one or two ratcheting tie downs similar to this one from a home improvement store.

3. Can’t be left to the elements for long periods of time

Because the chairs are made of wood, they’re more susceptible to water damage, cracking and peeling than resin folding chairs. Pick up of the chairs needs to occur as soon after the event is finished to avoid any weather issues. Also if you don’t have dry indoor storage to store these chairs, you shouldn’t consider purchasing wood folding chairs.

Hopefully this post provides you with an idea of the issues you can expect with wood folding chairs.