We all are aware of the great growth being experienced by the “fast casual” restaurant segment. According to industry resource firm Technomic, the fast casual category grew to $23 Billion in the U.S. last year and is the fastest growing segment of the American restaurant industry. With that growth comes a great deal of competition. As is usually the case, those that differentiate their experience best will reap the most rewards. One fast-casual concept that impresses through differentiation is 100 Montaditos. The montadito is a typical element of the Spanish culture and gastronomy and is a unique tapa-sized bread roll produced with an exclusive bread formula and filled with the best high quality ingredients. A visit to the Orlando location of this Madrid-based chain showed why they have such ambitious global growth plans. Inspired in the atmosphere of a typical Spanish tavern, you will encounter a variety of traditional montaditos served on crunchy, freshly-baked Spanish rolls; filled with such typical Mediterranean ingredients as Serrano ham, Spanish tortilla, chorizo sausage and Manchego cheese; and seasoned with such traditional Mediterranean ingredients as olive oil, garlic, onions, lemon, tomato sauce and ali oli. As their name implies, 100 varieties of fillings are available on a choice of white, whole wheat or ciabatta rolls.Great menu choices ….all at great affordable prices. And…a fast casual restaurant with $4 wine by glass – 100 Montaditos has it! | |  In addition to the tasty menu items and great prices, what impressed us about how this fast-casual concept differentiates their dining experience was their use of permanent tabletop versus disposable – glassware for beverages, including soft drinks…..ceramic cups and saucer for espresso…..and round, poly carbonate platters for montaditos, with metal containers for french fries. Clearly, a cut above other fast-casual concepts such as Five Guys, Chipotle, and others. 100 Montaditos is not only a place where you can enjoy of the best Spanish flavors, but also, hang-out and have some drinks with friends and family in an exciting environment tasting Spain’s famed Mahou beer or other typical thirst-quenchers, including red and white wines, claras (beer blended with lemon-lime soda) sangría and tintos de verano. Wines on the menu include Cava, a traditional sparking white wine from Spain’s Catalonia region. And, as we said earlier…. $4 wine by the glass – served in a real wine glass. Ditto for the Spanish Mahou beer and the house drink Tinto de Verano whihc also was exceptional.
photo by Rob Bartlett - Orlando Weekly
After visiting the Orlando location, its easy to see why 100 Montaditos feels it can grow to 500 North American units by 2015. Good food and good prices…a family friendly fast casual dining experience – all enhanced with permanent tabletop - elevates this the level that many of today’s restaurant guests are seeking. ¡muy bien hecho! To learn more about 100 Montaditos, go here: http://us.100montaditos.com/
TabletopJournal isn't much into reviews of restaurants unless they have some tie-back to the tabletop, but this Emirates Woman review of SAFFRON Asian restaurant in Dubai's Atlantis Hotel caught our eye. First of all, SAFFRON's decor was designed by Adam Tihany, which is always a reason for us to give it a more thorough lookover. With a design from Adam, we're not surprised the reviewer used words like "dining drama" or described the "20 live theatrical cooking stations". Pretty standard as any Tihany design is about more than just the good food and drink. Adam designs consider the entire experience. Adam's experience as a restaurateur himself insures that the practical operational issues are all completely addressed, as well. But, what also caught our eye was the reviewer's description of the music of SAFFRON: "Not only do the Saffron spin-doctors play the best music we’ve ever heard during a brunch, but they play the best we’ve ever heard in Dubai, full stop! Classic soul, funk and 1980s tunes ensure the party is constantly in full flow." Talk about differentiating the dining experience. We always knew Adam was a party guy. You can read the entire SAFFRON review by going here: http://emirateswoman.com/2013/05/01/the-review-saffron-brunch-at-mall-of-the-emirates/#.UYFL5rWsiSo
Restaurant guests don't want cheaper prices......
....they're really looking for a better experience.
(hey there, dealers and wholesalers......your customers feel the same; oh....and tabletop manufacturers - ditto)
Dudson.Defining Dining. In a wide variety of ways. Explore how they can help you elevate and differentiate your guest dining experience. To learn more about the collection of hospitality tabletop items available from Dudson, go here: http://www.dudson.com/ | |
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Olympic Provisions in Portland, Oregon. Wild Boar Croquettes.....love the terra cotta! Tabletop doesn't have to be complicated to differentiate the dining experience and reinforce a restaurant's overall brand message. Great people....great food...great wines...simple digs. Nice. Next time you are around Portland way....check them out. Thanks to Foodspotting.com for the image. | |
It seems like there's always something new and creative when it comes to Izabel Lam's line of tableware. Izabel Lam redefines artistic dinnerware by creating innovative flowing forms with undulating shapes and gentle textures that compliment a chef's creative presentations. Sophisticated jewel tones and classic neutrals enhance the nuances of material and movement on the play of texture and color in porcelain and glass giving a restaurant's guests an ultimate dining experience. Diffentiating the dining experience seems so automatic with dinnerware from Izabel Lam. With her shapes and textures derived from nature, Izabel's designs make traditional dinnerware seem rather mundane and unexciting. Chefs using her products know the bar has been raised for their guests and their dining pleasures. | A video showing the newest products from Izabel Lam |  The new 12" x 24" CUMULUS rectangular platter works well for group servings or for menu items that need a large surface area. |  New MILKY WAY was orginally designed for mega chef Joel Robuchon' s Las Vegas restaurant and now is in 3 others of the global culinary giant. | | And while it is true that glass dinnerware has become one of the staple elements in all modern restaurants, Izabel Lam brings a different design DNA to her glass creations. Even when Izabel designs her round glass plates...there is always a uniqueness to them like her 10" CLOUD (top right) plate with its smokey striations and undulating well area.
STREAM (below right) has both flow and texture in its serving area, allowing chefs to create the perfect culinary adventure for their guests. All while meeting the practical "back of the house" demands of any restaurant setting.
Michelin-starred and other top chefs worldwide have come to recognize the magic that Izabel Lam's creations bring to their tabletops. Joel Robuchon is a good example with Izabel's new MILKY WAY plates. Initially, designed for Robuchon's Las Vegas property, MILKY WAY is used in his other restaurants like Singapore and Macau.
Throughout top tabletops worldwide, the magic that is Izabel Lam continues to spread. To view the entire collection of tabletop creations from Izabel Lam, go here..... | |
Day 2 at New York's IHMRS Show made for improved traffic in terms of both quantity and quality of buyers attending according to many of the tabletop exhibitors. Here are a few new items we saw in Day 2 that caught our eye and we think that you will find on the tabletops of top chefs and restaurateurs very soon.
 Izabel Lam's new MILKY WAY provides a flat, contrasting canvas for chefs' creations and comes in multiple sizes in both square and rectangle shapes. Izabel Lam, with her tabletop artistry, again leads with her new Milky Way and Stream designs. Coming in multiple size squares and rectangles, the flat, night-sky look of Milky Way provides a great contrasting canvas for culinary creations of all sizes. Stream, continues this iconic designer's style of flowing forms with undulating shapes and gentle textures, combined with a contrasting stroke of color across the surface of the round transparent and textured plates. Michelin starred chefs around the world seek the dinnerware designs from Izabel Lam to take their food presentations to an even higher level. |  This legendary designer's products still remain the favorite of Michelin-starred chefs throughout the world. | | | Fortessa, with two new collections, had plenty of talk about with the many interested visitors to their booth. Spice is a colorful, agrarian series of dinnerware and serving pieces that will help elevate the dining experience for restaurant guests with its more natural look. Fortessa's new Spice comes in three color styles: cayenne, cilantro, and saffron. Restaurant menus that feature farm-grown, natural items will like the look and feel of Spice. With their Basics collection, Fortessa has taken the idea of portion-sized serving pieces and added the the Fortessa style of "better looking, longer lasting, and better value" to them. This new collection is extensive with nearly thirty pieces and a body whiteness that matches nicely with Fortessa's Fortaluxe Superwhite tableware. Enhanced durability through the addition of magnesium oxide to the body material also adds to the value of Basics. |  SPICE, part of Fortessa's D&V line of products, combines a casual, rustic beauty with the hidden practicality of vitrified dinnerware.
TabletopJournal has noticed for some time now that the folks at Tuxton China have been working hard to strengthen their brand position as a tabletop solutions provider to specific hospitality segments. With an impressive new catalog this year, upgrading/expanding their sales organization, and introducing new products... Tuxton China is a company that appears to really be on the move. Now, they've introduced a variety of new collateral materials that focus on their various product ranges and specific segments where they provide tabletop solutions. The TuxCare brochure (shown below) target at the healthcare segment is a great example. An easy to understand, 8-page brochure that explains clearly and simply why Tuxton has the answer to virtually any healthcare tabletop dining need. Tuxton understands healthcare ... including the delivery systems that are used for extended heat retention. |  Tuxton's new collateral materials showcase how they provide tabletop solutions for specific hospitality industry segments. | From their Red Plate Study to specific items like a compartmental plate... Tuxton provides healthcare operators such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, or even full care facilities the complete tabletop solution. Their new brochure explains it all.
Tuxton China. Interesting company these days....doing some very interesting things. You can learn more about Tuxton China and the entire range of tabletop products by going here: http://www.tuxton.com/
In today’s white-washed world of restaurant tabletops, to find color – used in a way that elevates the entire dining experience - is unusual. The creative talents at Glass Studio have a unique skill at bringing just the right design … in just the right color….to the restaurant tabletops through their artistic use of glass plates and tabletop accessories. This time it’s the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong that is the lucky recipient of a Glass Studio tabletop makeover. | This design for the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong is a great inspiration for restaurants where the aim is to create the feeling of contemporary elegance without cluttering the tabletop. The rich color and irregular shapes add just the right dramatic touch to accentuate the fine dining experience!
Tabletop opulence.....from The Glass Studio.
To learn more about The Glass Studio and the artistry that they are bringing to tabletops around the globe, go here: http://www.the-glass-co.com/ | |
Today....in a small town in northern Italy, a small restaurant will set its 11 tables to serve its guests. It's modest size belies it's stature. Peoples from all corners will trek to savor the dining experience that is Osteria Francescana. Here is a video produced by Destination Food for the 2012 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival of owner Massimo Bottura with him describing what it is that he does and why he does it:
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