Blog posts tagged with 'banquet halls'

Stainless Steel is an often misunderstood alloy, particularly when it comes to cutlery. As a result we hope to improve your understanding of stainless steel cutlery with this blog post. To do so we have compiled a list of questions that we are often asked about our stainless steel flatware.

What's the difference between 18/10, 18/8 and 18/0 stainless steel cutlery?

National Event Supply currently offers two levels of cutlery being 18/8 and 18/0. The difference between them is the nickel content in the flatware. The 18 stands for 18% chromium which gives the steel its hardness as well as stain, heat and corrosion resistant properties. The 10, 8 or 0 stands for 10%, 8% or 0% Nickel. Nickel gives flatware its soft feeling and fantastic shine. In terms of the hardness and fantastic shine, the best cutlery that we offer is made of 18/8 stainless steel.

Can stainless steel stain?

It is important to remember that it is called stainless steel, not stainproof steel. We have worked extremely hard over the years to ensure we only provide high quality stainless steel cutlery. With that said it is not stainproof as there are ingredients found in many citrus products, coffee, tea, salad dressing, salt (or foods with high salt content), and vinegar that can cause discolouration in your flatware. Additionally, hard water can cause putting or spotting on your flatware. It is also important to note that soaking your flatware for extended periods of time, particularly when the soap used has a citrus/lemon additive, is bad for the longevity of your flatware and we do not recommend it.

Why should I pick stainless steel flatware versus another material?

There are many reasons to select stainless steel for your cutlery when you are looking at the different options available. The first reason is that it is dishwasher safe making it easy and convenient to clean. Every caterer, banquet hall, golf course and party rental company knows what a hassle and time consuming process hand-washing cutlery can be! Many won't even stock cutlery that can’t be washed in a dishwasher because time is money-especially when you need to turnover cutlery fast. Another reason to select stainless steel cutlery-ownership is relatively carefree and practical as it is resistant to corrosion, rust and staining. It is also very economical because it has a long life while in use and is relatively inexpensive to purchase. Finally and perhaps most importantly, it looks good! A nice set of cutlery can really add a pop to your table top.

Why do your flatware prices vary even though they are equal quality?

Beyond the material used (18/10 versus 18/0), which causes a difference in the price. There are many other factors that come into play in the manufacturing and price of our cutlery. One key factor is weight; generally the heavier the pieces are, the more they cost. That is why knives and large serving pieces are more expensive. Another key factor relating directly to cost is the level of detail in the flatware. Other factors that come into play are pattern detail, extra finishing, and additional pieces available.

Is your flatware dishwasher safe?

Yes, all of the flatware sold by National Event Supply is dishwasher/commercial dishwasher safe. We recommend that any National Event Supply flatware placed in a dishwasher in such a way that the water and soap will not pool on any part of the flatware. This ensures you have the shiniest cutlery ready for your next event at a moment’s notice.

If you’re interested in learning more about the cutlery lines that National Event Supply stocks, feel free to contact us.

Our Serenity Crystal stemware along with our Copa / Eclisse glassware is a popular choice for commercial businesses including party rental companies, caterers, hotels, restaurants and banquet halls. With crystal and glass bearing striking similarities in aesthetics, we thought it made sense to clear up some of the top asked questions.

What is the difference between glass and crystal?

There are a number of differences between glass and crystal that should be known before purchasing stemware. Glass tends to be thicker than crystal as crystal is stronger so it can be worked thinner than glass. While glass can look quite similar to crystal, if you hold up a piece of crystal stemware to the light, the crystal will act as a prism. Crystal also produces a musical tone when you run a wet finger along the rim or when struck, though I wouldn’t recommend striking a suppliers’ crystal – it might not leave the best impression. Glass also tends to have a rolled / rounded rim while crystal tends to have a clean, straight cut rim.

Traditional crystal contains lead. The lead addition adds sparkle, gives more weight to the stemware, and increases its durability. There can be health concerns associated with the addition of lead oxide so many suppliers now have lead-free crystal – which is what National Event Supply carries.

Is lead crystal safe?

Lead crystal has been the primary form of crystal glassware since its inception. With the recent awareness and movement away from BPA due to health concerns, there has been debate on the use of lead in crystal. It is advised that you should not use lead crystal containers to store beverages for periods of time longer than a day. As per Riedel’s website, assuming that "worldwide legal standards are met and also surpassed", there are no issues or concerns with using lead crystal on a daily basis.

How do you clean crystal & glass stemware?

Always make sure to ask the supplier this question before purchasing as there’s no hard and fast rule that all crystal needs to be hand washed and all glass can be placed in a dishwasher. For businesses that deal with large quantities of stemware, it is recommended you look for crystal or glass stemware that is dishwasher safe as this will allow you to turn around your inventory faster while utilizing less man hours to do so. Imagine having to clean the glassware for a 500 person event? Not a fast or easy job.  Being able to use a dishwasher can save you thousands of dollars. National Event Supply only offers Crystal and Glass stemware that is dishwasher safe – keeping our customer’s in mind.

Should I be purchasing handmade or machine made glassware?

This is really a matter of personal preference. Handmade crystal and glass can lack the consistency of machine made crystal and glass. Handmade crystal in particular can be more costly than machine made crystal as some manufacturers employ master craftsman to produce their crystal glasses. While machine made glass and crystal can lack the artisans touch, they generally look more consistent and can be less expensive depending on your supplier.

In our post last Wednesday on the first 4 most important questions to ask before buying plastic folding tables, we referenced load capacity weight, locking mechanisms, table leg gauges and the weight of the tables themselves. What else should you be asking your plastic folding table supplier before purchasing? Without further ado, check out the last 4 most important questions to ask before buying plastic folding tables.

1. Are the tables suitable for both indoor and outdoor events?

Plastic folding tables are the most durable table for indoor and outdoor events and are great for businesses that require lots of moving of furniture like party rental because they’re far more lightweight and durable than plywood folding tables.

2. If Yes, can they withstand the elements?

We wrote a blog post to answer this very question – compared to wood folding tables, plastic folding tables last extremely well to the elements – they’ve currently been outside for greater than 88 days and still going strong. Just give them a wipe and they’re ready for your next event.

3. Does the table have a warranty associated with it?

Making sure that the tables you are buying have a warranty of some kind is a good way to protect yourself in case manufacturing defects show themselves after purchase. All NES Reliable Plastic Folding Tables come with a Two Year Warranty against material or manufacturing defects.

4. What structure supports the weight on the table?

Does the table have a frame? How thick is the blow-mold (plastic) table top? Table frames are an extremely important aspect of plastic folding tables, particularly for commercial quality plastic folding tables as they provide structure, durability and ample load support. Combine a high quality table frame with a high quality blow-mold top and you are sure to have a table that can stand up to your needs. You can do this by checking out the table in person or by looking on your supplier’s website. It is often very obvious when a supplier has skimped on either aspect of the table; the top will look too thin for heavy use and the frame will look unsubstantial. An additional clue can be had by looking at the suggested weight rating for the table (especially if it is not published).

As a banquet hall, event venue, caterer or party rental company, buying plastic folding tables for your events can be a daunting task. With so many different manufacturers and retailers out there selling folding tables, how can you be sure you’re getting high quality, durable, commercial-grade plastic folding tables that allow you to rent out or use for adequate return on investment?

Because it can be overwhelming to settle on a specific plastic folding table supplier, we've put together a checklist of 4 of the 8 most important questions to ask before buying plastic folding tables.

1. How much weight can the plastic folding tables hold?

When holding events that utilize plastic folding tables, they need to be able to withstand the expected and unexpected. Perhaps you're using them for a buffet so the tables will be holding chafing dishes, beverage tubs, stacks of commercial dinnerware, and cutlery stations. Perhaps your staff during clean up loads the plastic folding tables full of dishes. Make sure to look for a plastic folding table that can hold a minimum of 700-1000lbs and that the supplier can show proof of its sturdiness.

2. What kind of locking mechanism is underneath the table?

There's great debate over which locking mechanism—snap lock or gravity lock—makes the most sense for folding tables. We're not going to get involved in the grate debate—one customer that loves snap locks, hates gravity locks while another loves gravity and hates snap. Just make sure that when you're purchasing tables that you’re aware of which lock is available so you're prepared for what to expect.

Snap locks are as their name would suggest and snap with some effort into place. These can be really secure assuming they’re properly deployed. Some don’t lock it in all the way and then wonder why the table folds so make sure you hear that it clicks into place.

A gravity lock, on the other hand, is a ring that slides down the table leg frame and locks the leg in place. It acts as an extra safety so that table legs don’t unintentionally fold. Gravity locks can make setting up and disassembling tables more difficult for some.

3. What gauge are the table legs?

Folding tables have a different gauge (thickness) of steel depending on the table use and quality. 19 Gauge steel table legs could be classified as economy table legs because 18 gauge is lighter and less expensive than the thicker gauges.

17 Gauge steel table legs are of commercial quality and extremely suitable for foodservice, and party rental businesses looking for both durability, affordability and higher quality table legs. Make sure you find out what gauge of table leg the tables you’re planning to buy offer – so you know what you’re getting and what uses they’ll be find for.

4. How much do the plastic folding tables weigh?

While weight may not be important if you plan the tables to stay in one place however, if you're going to be moving them to events weight becomes an increasingly important variable. Plastic folding tables come in a number of different shapes and sizes so their weight will vary depending on this. Most commercial plastic folding tables range in weight from 20lbs to 70lbs.

To view the last 4 most important questions to ask before buying plastic folding tables check out part two of the series here!

Over the years the standard plywood folding table sizes have grown in popularity for us.  With this success we have continually listened to our customers to find new sizes and styles of tables to add to our product catalogue.  The latest additions to hit our shelves are the following items:

• 66” NES Round Wood Folding Table
• 6-ft Rectangle Wood Folding Table Legs
• 8-ft Rectangle Wood Folding Table Legs
• 60” Wood Round Folding Table
• Wood Folding Table Feet

National Event Supply has offered a standard range of wood folding tables for several years now.  In both the plywood tables and plastic tables, the popularity of the 60” Round is undeniable.  It's a great size that suits many different situations extremely well and is a popular table option to fit an 8 person meal on (see Why I Love Round Folding Tables: Better Conversations). But what if you are looking for something that fits 10 people for a meal?  And what if you are looking to optimize your space? If that's the case you should consider our new 66" plywood round folding tables! They don't take up quite as much space as our 72" plywood round folding tables but can still seat 10 people for dinner. Additionally the 66" wood round folding table is less expensive than the 72" wood round folding table.

Have you ever lost the feet on any of your tables? Have you had troubles finding replacements?  Well look no further, National Event Supply is now stocking replacement feet for wood folding tables. They really are the perfect addition to our ever growing selection of parts. So what tables do they fit? They fit all NES Plywood Folding Tables and many other wood folding tables that use 1" diameter tubing for the legs. Unlike the plastic folding tables and plastic folding chairs that use feet that surround the bottom of the leg, the wood folding table feet actually fit inside the steel tube. If any of your tables are missing feet, be sure to give us a call before they scratch your floors!

The final product that we have added to our line-up this go around is the 6-ft Rectangle Wood Folding Table Legs, 8-ft Rectangle Wood Folding Table Legs, and 60” Wood Round Folding Table. If you are familiar with National Event Supply products you may have noticed that we actually currently offer these products however they are slightly different than the new offering. Unlike the current offering that has a gravity lock to keep them in place, the new legs have a snap lock to hold them in place. The snap lock solution is idea for the rental industry and other customers that need to move their tables on a regular basis. The gravity lock is great when the table is in place but when you are folding up the table it can often fall back into the locked position, making the fold up process somewhat frustrating for some people. The replacement legs are ideal for people looking to build their own tables or someone that already has damaged the legs on one of their existing wood folding tables.