Don't you just hate it when you travel somewhere on business....and, when you get there, you find there's a #CraftBeer Week scheduled? That's what attendees to this week's NRA Show in Chicago are finding. We know, we know....it's tough duty. But, hey...somebody has to do it. Seriously, Chicago Craft Beer Week is an effort to promote the great brewers, breweries, brewpubs, craft beer serving bars and the beer loving community in the greater Chicago area. Brought to you by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Chicago Craft Beer Week 2013 last for eleven days - May 16-26th and will be held at venues all over the Chicago area. From beer dinners to tap takeovers, from Lincoln Park to Bridgeport, we hope to help you find out just how great Chicago Craft Beer really is. to check out the list of scheduled events and venues, go here:http://chibeerweek.com/schedule/ |
Holy Craft! It's in all the papers!
| And, for those attending the NRA Show at McCormick Convention Center, this would also be a great time to check out the great beer glass selections from people like Libbey, Cardinal Glass, Oneida/Anchor Hocking, Steelite, Luigi Bormioli from Bauscher USA, and Duralex. We know you realize the importance of having the right glass to give your guests the best beer experience possible. But, in case you need a little refresher course, here's a great - and short - video from CraftBeer.comA week that lasts eleven days! Love it!Cheers.
Oneida's new product introductions at this year's NRA Show, including Schonwald's new CONNECT RADIAL dinnerware.
 Oneida, global leader in designing the dining experience, will showcase a new and extensive collection of banquetware pieces at the 2013 National Restaurant Show. “Our Oneida Banquetware collection is designed to enhance creative culinary presentations. This innovative new collection allows food and beverage teams more freedom to stage innovative events that include food storage, beverage dispensers, serving platforms, risers, pillars and bamboo accessories. Inspired by compelling design styles including a less-is-more Bauhaus positioning, and innovative geometric Art Deco shapes, the Oneida Buffet Collection is a compelling compliment to our tabletop portfolio”, stated Umberto Filice, Senior Vice President of North American Sales. New product introductions will also be featured in Drinkware, Dinnerware, and Flatware positioned effectively within the prevailing design, food and lifestyle trends in the market.
DRINKWARE
FLAME™, new from Stölzle, features the fluid graceful profiles of fire. Emotional and organic, this lux shape delivers visual excitement. The pure tactile satisfaction of these dramatic tapers, with shear rims, maximizes the fine dining experience.
CELEBRATION™, new from Stölzle, is both sophisticated and mainstream. This elegant shape features a drawn stem, and sheer fire polished rim. Exceptional brilliance that is enhanced by seamless stems clearly distinguishes this classic.
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SAHARA™, new from Sant’Andrea focuses the culinary visual using textural terracing. Framing each piece with movement and organic texture, this fine porcelain shape speaks to culinary creativity with a voice that merges with our natural world.
CONNECT RADIAL™, new from Schönwald, captures a modern linear spirit. Concentric and crisp, the visual created inspires precision and radial perfection. Clearly upscale, with a range of clean and sleek shapes enhanced using subtle refinement of axis.
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New SAHARA from Sant ' Andrea is just one of the many new products form Oneida Foodservice.
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VERGE™ creates an aesthetic that draws from the folded surfaces of origami. Each gleamingly polished surface suggests jeweled facets of reflective energy. Unique and textural sculpture in 18/10, define creativity on the tabletop.
PERPETUA™ is clean and sleek, modern and understated. High-lux mirror polishing reminds us that flatware is jewelry for the table. Formed from solid 18/10 stainless steel of the highest quality, PERPETUA’s form follows its function.
Oneida Ltd and Anchor Hocking Foodservice parent EveryWare Global’s financial results improved in its first quarter, which ended on March 31. According to a preliminary report on the quarter, EveryWare posted net income of $197,000, compared to a net loss of $6.3 million in the first quarter of last year. Total revenue increased 3.1 percent to $99.3 million. The company also reported a 58.1 percent gain in operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to $9.1 million. John Sheppard, EveryWare’s CEO, said the combination of the Anchor Hocking and Oneida brands under its corporate umbrella helped elevate EveryWare to results that were ahead of its budget for the quarter. “We delivered meaningful growth in our core North American markets,” Sheppard said, “and we expect to see growth accelerate in our international segment in the coming quarters, as we leverage our iconic brands, diversified product portfolio and distribution infrastructure.”EveryWare was formed by the merger of Anchor Hocking and Oneida in March 2012. In January of this year, the company announced its plans to merge with ROI Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by affiliates of Clinton Group. To learn more about the wide range of hospitality industry products available from Everyware, go here: http://foodservice.oneida.com/
For operators interested in upgrading their wine service it's a great time to consider upgrading their glassware. There's lots of great options available and now, there's another great wineglass option. Everyware Global the parent company of Oneida & Anchor Hocking is pleased to announce the addition of the new Stolzle “Celebration Collection of High Performance Crystal Stemware. ” The stemware in this line features high performance shapes, sheer rims, drawn stems, exceptional clarity and brilliance. Celebration was also designed with extra durability being a key focus in the development of the product. Stolzle's CELEBRATION also offers a great price/value option to hospitality operators who want to elevate the wine experience for their guests. According to Jay Allie, Everyware Global's National Sales Manager for the Stolzle brand, "To be considered a high performance wine glass collection, the range needs to have great bowl shapes that are varietal specific, ideally. It also needs to have a sheer rim and brilliantly clear crystal to add to the overall wine drinking experience. And, finally, for the hospitality industry it must be durable. Our new CELEBRATION collection has it all." | | In his own words, Jay Allie explains: Lead Free Crystal Glass. Traditional styling. Melted stem technology. Sheer fire polished rims. Having all these attributes makes Stolzle's CELEBRATION another great option when it comes to elevating the wine experience for the hospitality guest.
 The just completed International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York showcased a number of terrific tabletop companies and products. overall show traffic was brisk and heavy, with the aisles filled with regional hospitality professionals. One of the most interesting and best merchandised tabletop displays of the show was the booth by well known New York dealer Sam Tell Companies. Filled with great displays of top tabletop brands such as Oneida, Arc/Cardinal, Homer Laughlin, Libbey and more. Dealer booths are soemtimes difficult to merchandise because of the wide variety of products carried by most dealers, but the Sam Tell display was a great example of a well-thought out plan with a great tabletop focus. Well done.
New York-based importer Europeaus had their usual strong display of serving platters, but included this time was a much larger selection of their Italian terra cotta line Piral. Red clay terra cotta, mankind's oldest cooking material, is available in many sizes and shapes from Europeaus for use on the open flame, on gas and electric stovetops, in the oven and microwave. The terra cotta material also reduces cooking time by conducting heat more evenly and efficiently. The Antica finish of Europeaus' terra cotta line blends with many menus and decors from Tuscan country to Ethiopian cusine to a Mexican hacienda. | | | | Tabletop leader Fortessa Tableware Solutions had their usual strong display with the new SPICE collection front and center with several new items added. Fortessa also showcased their new BASICS line of small serving pieces and their bamboo underliners for their Cassolette line of cast aluminum FORTALITE cookware.
Fortessa's Fortalite Cassolettes now have bamboo underliners available.
| French tabletop icon Deshouliers/Apilco had a great display of some of their upscale designs such as SEYCHELLES (left) which work well for those chefs who are reaching for their next Michelin star. Founded in 1826, the Deshoulières Group is today the leading French porcelain producer, a specialist in tableware products.The product collection is distributed under two major brands, Deshoulieres and Apilco, to satisfy the large number of consumers and fine chefs. |
Deshouliers Group's SEYCHELLES is available in Taupe (shown), Noir, Blanc, and Blanc Platine.
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And, of course, one of the hits of the show was Steelite's new CRAFT gray....shown here mixed in with several of the other colors...Blue, Green, Brown, and Terra Cotta.
According to Marketwatch.com, EveryWare Global, Inc., parent company to the Oneida and Anchor Hocking brands, announced today that it has reached an agreement with Doh Kwang Trading Co., Ltd. ("DK") to make DK the distributor of EveryWare's Oneida and Anchor Hocking products in the Republic of Korea for both the consumer and the foodservice market there. | | "International expansion is an important part of our strategic growth plan, and the more than $1.3 billion Korean market represents a significant opportunity to extend the reach of our market leading products," said John Sheppard, CEO of EveryWare. "Doh Kwang Trading is a highly-respected company in Korea with strong relationships and a long track-record of success in working with consumer brands to introduce them to retail and business-to-business customers. We are pleased to be partnering with Doh Kwang Trading and are confident in its ability to establish and grow our presence in the Korean market."
 EveryWare Global, the tabletop company formed last year with the merger of Anchor Hocking and Oneida, has reached an agreement to merge with ROI Acquisition Corp. in a deal that would take the company public.
Currently, EveryWare is owned primarily by funds managed by Monomoy Capital Management. Once the new merger is finalized, the combined companies will keep the EveryWare Global name, and the stock will be traded on the Nasdaq market under the ticker symbol EVRY. A joint statement from EveryWare and ROI said the combined value of the business will be about $420 million after the transaction is closed.
Terms were not disclosed, nor was a date for the closing of the transaction. The joint statement described ROI as “special-purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination involving ROI Acquisition Corp. and one or more businesses.”
The EveryWare management team is expected to remain in place post-merger, led by President and CEO John Sheppard. Daniel Collin, current EveryWare chairman and partner in Monomoy, will remain as chairman. Thomas J. Baldwin, chairman and CEO of ROI, will become the merged company’s vice chairman.
EveryWare, owned primarily by funds managed by Monomoy Capital Management, LLC ("Monomoy"), is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of tabletop and food preparation products for the consumer and foodservice markets. ROI, a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by affiliates of Clinton Group, Inc., holds approximately $75 million of cash in its trust account.
The statement added that EveryWare posted adjusted EBITDA of $54.9 million for the year ended Dec. 31, up 53 percent from the year ending Dec. 31, 2011. For this year, the company projects adjusted EBITDA of $61.1 million.
With selecting items for your restaurant tabletop, selecting the right manufacturer is often as important as selecting the right product. Design, quality, and continuity of supply are just a few of the reasons to consider the company, as well as the product. There are many exciting companies right now in the tabletop category, but TabletopJournal will be keeping an especially watchful eye on a handful in 2013.
In no particular order, some of the hospitality tabletop companies that will be on our radar screen are:
| Bauscher/Tafelstern
Not only in the USA, but in other markets around the world, Bauscher has aligned itself with WMF/Hepp. We think this is an excellent fit and, as of yesterday, in USA, Canada, and the Caribbean, Bauscher has added Luigi Bormioli, another great complimentary product range. Bringing these powerhouse, upscale brands to the hospitality market should make 2013 an interesting year for Bauscher and its portfolio of brands.
| | | Steelite International
It’s hard to mention exciting tabletop and not mention Steelite. The recently announced acquisition of Royal Crown Derby is going to make this UK juggernaut even stronger, especially with the long-term benefits being added by the new factory to be built in Stoke. With the growing portfolio of exciting products showing no signs of letting up, Steelite will remain a company to watch in 2013.
| | | Tuxton
Tuxton China has been slowing changing and evolving for several years. TabletopJournal believes that 2013 will likely be the breakout year for this "off the radar screen” company. New products, new collateral materials, new trade show booth, new personnel.....all signal that Tuxton is ready to play with the “big boys" of tabletop. 2013 should be Tuxton's year.
| | | Studio William
This UK flatware company has been quietly (ok, sometimes, not so quietly) finding its way onto some of the best restaurant tabletops around the world, not to mention the Victoria & Albert Museum. At TabletopJournal, we love the Studio William inspiration that brings things to market like their new LEAF dessert spoon and their new MEAT BLADES. Look for sensory dining flatware items from Studio William to continue to be used by discerning restaurateurs in 2013.
| | | Oneida/Anchor Hocking
With more than a year since this marriage took place, expectations are high for this high-powered combination to accelerate to the front of the tabletop pack in North America and around the world. This company has the people, the products, and the supply chain to furnish growing global hotel chains of all levels. The already strong lineup of flatware, dinnerware, and glassware has recently been strengthened by the new STRATA buffet series. Look for this company to really take off in the coming months.
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| | RAK Porcelain
As a part of the world’s largest ceramic manufacturer, RAK Porcelain continues to expand its brand presence around the globe. With the switch in America to the RAK name, this brand will come to be recognized as one of the truly great tabletop brands in the world very soon. Led by designers like Mikaela Dörfel and Alain Vavro, RAK Porcelain’s designs are both elegant and practical. RAK’s “state of the art” production give this company a great edge on quality and costing….all that seems left to do is to continue to build brand awareness globally. TabletopJournal expects big things from RAK Porcelain in 2013.
| | | Libbey
Libbey has been a company that has quietly gone about its business for a number of years. Always a supplier of great glassware, its World Tableware and Syracuse brands seem to have been afterthoughts, at times. Not the case any more, as TabletopJournal has made note of vastly improved dinnerware quality and expanded flatware ranges to go with a continually improving glassware range – note the recent addition of Spiegelau as a high-end glassware addition. But the real change happening at Libbey is likely a cultural change. Led by CEO Stephanie Streeter, we’ve noticed new changes in foodservice marketing….and re-configured HQ office to allow for better communication, and just a little more spring in the step of the Libbey salesforce lately. TabletopJournal thinks that the global foodservice industry will see a “new”, re-invigorated Libbey in 2013.
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| | Fortessa
Fortessa, through the years, has developed a strong reputation for quality hospitality tabletop products … and, of marching to their own beat. So, for many reasons, Fortessa has always been someone to keep your eye on as it. The launch of their BASICS line and the SPICE collection at the IHMRS Show in New York was very impressive, but TabletopJournal has the feeling that these introductions might just be the beginning of a new push from this company….we're thinking that early ’13 will produce some new and exciting buzz from this tabletop leader.
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| | Ten Strawberry Street
Always a company that was around the edges of the American foodservice hospitality business, Ten Strawberry Street has, to this point, been a great source for rental companies, caterers, and other banquet operators. Strong in retail, it seemed like that was their focus and they were glad to have whatever foodservice/hospitality business that came their way. After seeing their presence at last May’s NRA Show, we won’t be surprised if this “stealth” tabletop source is no longer so stealth. Ten Strawberry Street is one of our top darkhouse hospitality tabletop companies for the coming year.
| | | Elite Global Solutions
Long a supplier of creative melamine, for food service operators, EGS differentiates itself quickly with its catalog, website, and overall image. But, behind the marketing and the sexy literature is a company built upon great product quality and design, supported by legendary customer service. Companies that truly have great customer service (and not just talk about having great customer service) are not as plentiful as you might think. EGS has it and we think that 2013 might just be a banner year for them, so we are keeping a watchful eye on them.
| | There are a number of other tabletop companies that also merit watching. Corby Hall, Rosenthal/Sambonet, Arc Intl/Cardinal, Candle Lamp/Sterno, Churchill ….are all bringing new products to market, adjusting their way of doing business, and generally, doing some pretty cool things to help operators differentiate their restaurants.
There’s also a few of you out there who asked us not to mention your companies….you know who you are…..who are ready to make some pretty big news of your own.
So, while we’re just getting started, we think 2013 is going to be a very good year!
Just remember…..tabletop matters!
 EveryWare Global, Inc. the corporate parent of the newly-integrated Anchor Hocking and Oneida companies, is pleased to announce the renewal of the partnership with Stölzle Lausitz GmbH a manufacturer of premium crystalline stemware and barware. Anchor Hocking and Stölzle entered into an agreement in January 2009. Under the agreement, Anchor Hocking marketed the entire foodservice glassware lines of Stölzle in North America from their Lancaster, Ohio distribution location. Moving forward the EveryWare companies, Anchor Hocking and Oneida jointly will distribute Stölzle to the foodservice market through their Savannah distribution center. “With the new integration of the Oneida and Anchor brands, the partnership renewal with Stölzle was fortuitous,” said John Sheppard, CEO of EveryWare Global, Inc. “by partnering with a world class brand such as Stölzle allows us the opportunity to fully service our Foodservice customer.”Stölzle Lausitz GmbH is a leading international manufacturer of crystalline glassware for restaurants and hotels based in Weisswasser, Germany. For over 200 years, Stölzle has been recognized for their outstanding product design and quality. Their designs ensure the product maximizes the full potential of the flavor and aroma of each individual wine pour. Each stem is 100% lead-free and is professionally designed and produced using state-of-the-art production processes to optimize quality, strength and performance. Their state-of-the-art production processes include the use of two-piece, melted-stem and drawn stem technologies. These processes allow Stölzle to produce durable yet elegant stemware that will enhance one’s wine drinking experience.
To view the lineup of Stolzle stemware from
Many tabletop brands that serve both the consumer and the hospitality markets (in fact nearly all) have a single Facebook page that serves both audiences. This means that after once or twice of navigating their way through the myriad of consumer-focused pictures, recipes, and other information, most hospitality people leave... and rarely return. Oneida has just launched their Oneida Foodservice Facebook page devoted entirely to the hospitality market. This page is dedicated to sharing information specific to the foodservice industry. Here are key topics that Oneida will be sharing on the page: - Week day posts of beautiful images of Oneida products with descriptions
- Industry News updates
- Video posts about Oneida products created by Oneida or partner companies
- Virtual Tabletop app that allows fans to try out the tool without leaving Facebook
- Brand Portfolio - photo albums of each brand showing the variety of products
- Industry events where Oneida is a participant
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