While it looks like a pretty simple task to procure Placemats for your restaurant, the variety on offer invariably causes confusion. The size of your establishment and the number of diners you serve per shift plays a vital role in choosing the right one. For example, your restaurant may be located downtown serving the office goers during lunch time and casual diners in the evening. This calls for a fast to lay disposable placemats during crowded lunch hour and reusable ones for the leisurely serving in evenings. The reason for is that the reusable one need cleaning between servings and having a huge number of them costs avoidable investment. And the evening diner may expect a more decorative ambience than a matter of fact food served in a hurry.
Cost of the placemats in itself is a very important factor. It may look trivial to bother about a few cents spent per diner but it adds up to a tidy sum of money at the end of the month. And for a business like restaurant, whose profits are invariably constrained by space and time, every penny counts. The long lasting reusable ones may appear costly compared to the disposable ones which are sold in thousands. But their overall cost may work out much lower over a longer period time.
Within the reusable range, the variety available is mind boggling. Manufacturers keep coming up innovative combinations of design and materials. Attention should be paid to base material, embellishments, designs, shapes and sizes. Of great importance are the cleaning method involved and the storage system required when not in use. Since they are used in the food industry, hygiene and appearance acquire top priority. For example, a stained Placemat is unacceptable even if it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Similarly, a Placemat beautiful in looks but home for bacteria is a health hazard. Mats made of material which do not naturally absorb and retain the aromas and odors of the food should be preferred. Untreated table mats made of cotton or viscose are particularly vulnerable to this shortcoming. A placemat having a non-porous synthetic surface, which is also easy to clean, usually meets this criteria.
Finally, effort should be made to have Placemats whose looks are unique and if possible exclusive to your restaurant. A possible way is to buy you Placemats from another region or city. Most of your neighborhood restaurants would have picked up their requirement from the local home décor sores! Also explore the possibility of having them customized with your logo, color scheme etc. All this may cost you a little more, but then if you are offering a unique experience to your customers then it is well worth the effort.