How to Transform Your Restaurant With Tablecloths
“A room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy,” – Juan Montoya.
Setting your tables with beautiful tablecloths will bring a smile to your guests.
As a restaurant owner, you need to find ways to meet the expectations of your guests. Happy guests equal regular business.
Guests like to have a new experience every time they visit your restaurant. The look and feel of your restaurant play a role in achieving this experience.
However, this can be expensive for any hotel owner to keep up with.
An inexpensive way to create a great dining experience for your guests is by using decor.
Table cloths, for instance, can transform your restaurant and give it a classic look for each occasion. You can use tablecloths for various events; a formal or informal dinner, a wedding or even a buffet.
There are three advantages of using tablecloths:
- Appearance. Tablecloths can transform your dining appearance at a minimal cost. They are an easy and inexpensive way to cover scratches and damages on a table.
- Noise reduction. Have you seen a waiter setting down cutlery only to distract people with the noise? Now imagine serving a full dining room. The noise is simply unbearable! Tablecloths provide a soft landing when setting a table.
- Perception. Tablecloths provide visual ambience to guests. They can elevate the appearance of your dining room. The use of linen and cotton tablecloths brings out the perception of fine dining at your restaurant.
Choose quality tablecloths that protect your furniture and add ambience to the restaurant.
Some of the styles you can incorporate, depending on the occasion, include:
Let's have a look at each of these styles.
1. Eclectic
This is a very artistic style of a tablecloth. It is eye-catching.
If you want to impress your guests, choose a tablecloth with graphics and large prints. It’s bound to make a bold statement.
Small prints tend to fade into the background and don’t stand out.
The eclectic style is great for informal dining such as a casual dinner party.
Image from: Houzz
2. Contemporary
A contemporary tablecloth fits best in a restaurant that is well-lit with bright colours.
Pick a tablecloth that is neutral in colour so it blends well with bright centrepieces. You can also choose a coloured tablecloth that will brighten the table and the room.
Contemporary tablecloths give the dining table a warm and luxurious look.
Image from: flickr by Indigo Landing
3. Modern
Give your restaurant a different look by using the modern style of a tablecloth.
Choose a tablecloth with patterns, lines and colours. This is great for fine dining.
Ensure the furniture and colours in your restaurant match up to this appearance.
Image from: flicker by Whitestone Inn
4. Rustic
Rustic tablecloths are a great choice if you want to add a feel of nature to your restaurant.
Choose tablecloths in bright solid colours and soft textural designs. They will brighten your occasion.
This is a classic look for an outdoor event such as a garden wedding.
Image from: Pexels by Craig Adderley
5. Seasonal
Match your tablecloth with each season: Valentine’s, birthdays, Halloween, Christmas or Easter.
For example, a green tablecloth would go well with the Christmas season. For the Halloween season, choose a tablecloth with Halloween symbols.
 Image from: Petr Kratochvil
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 Image from: Wikimedia
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Whichever tablecloth style you choose, bear in mind these four key aspects:
- The size of the table
- The fabric of the tablecloth
- The shape of the table
- The colour of the tablecloth
The Size of the Table
The length and width of the dining table will determine the size of your tablecloth.
You will also need to decide how much of the tablecloth you want to drop on the sides.
For a casual setting, go for a drop of eight inches from the edge of the table to the bottom of the tablecloth.
A formal setting requires a drop of 10 to 15 inches at most from the edge of the table to the bottom of the tablecloth.
If you are setting up for a wedding banquet, ensure your tablecloth is long enough and touches the floor.
The Fabric of the Tablecloth
To a large extent, the type of occasion determines the fabric you will use for your tablecloth.
For fine dining, use absorbent fabric tablecloths such as polyester and cotton. This look is also suitable for formal dinner parties.
The best tablecloth for a casual event is one that is easy to wipe clean.
For casual eateries or informal events, pick vinyl or laminated fabric. Linen is great, too, as it is resistant to stains and wrinkles.
The Shape of the Table
In a restaurant setting, tables often come in four shapes:
- Rectangle
- Round
- Square
- Oval
Tablecloths come in four basic shapes that match the table shapes. These are oblong (rectangular), square, oval and round.
Many restaurants prefer round tables. These allow more people to sit at one table with chairs squeezed in around them.
When one has a large event to host, square or rectangle tables often make it easier to join tables together.
The Colour of the Tablecloth
The most common colour of tablecloth in many restaurants is white, but there are many other solid colours you can opt for.
Tablecloths with patterns are equally good. These tend to be common on laminated fabric and vinyl tablecloths.
Add colour to your tables by layering a smaller table cloth over the main one with a contrasting colour. Tablecloths with a different shape than the table can be used to create further contrast. This is common at wedding banquets.
Table cloths in solid colours are best for formal events. Colourful and patterned tablecloths can be used for casual events.
Always buy commercial tablecloths that are absorbent, durable and look classy.
Here are some suggestions:
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At this point, setting tables should be like child’s play to you, right? Go ahead and impress your guests!
For quality tablecloths, head over to Australian Linen Supply. You’ll love their superior quality and pocket-friendly prices.
Feature Image: designermikele
