Upscale Disposable Tableware, A Blog

Bay Area Toy Company Uses Recycled Plastic Milk Jugs To Make Toys. 

 

It’s not very often you hear of a true recycling success story but Green Toys in Northern California is just that.  They make durable toys for children.  Green toys is what every environmentally conscious innovative company should strive to be – Profitable.  It’s not just the profit that matters to them though.  The entire ethos of the company is based on doing great things.  From the design of the toy and the development of the child to "made and packaged in the USA" green toys is doing it right.  So when you throw that plastic milk jug in the blue bin have confidence that it is going to a recycling center and beginning a journey of reformation into something else.  There is a lot of data on plastic and it’s important to know and acknowledge where you can buy “Made In The USA” from Recycled Content. 

Recycling containers is important.  The average American produces more than 4 pounds of waste per day and a quick google search will yield you the data that more than 1.5 pounds of that waste is recycled or composted.  While those numbers on average are OK there are 2 simple steps corporate buyers and business operators can take to make them better. 

1. Use food containers with recycled content.
2. Use food containers that are dishwasher safe and can be reused by consumers again.

Recycled / Recyclable Catering Supplies

Another great recycling success story is the very company I work for – Fineline Settings.  Fineline Settings manufactures recyclable catering bowls and trays using recycled content.  The line is called ReForm and we like to think of it as having a “reforming effect” on the catering and food service industry.  ReForm boasts the “Made in the USA” label but there’s something much better and much more profound about this food packaging system – It’s reusable by your consumers. 

Reform’s durability and useful life will far exceed the food that comes in it.  Its design and sturdy construction not only provides sleek, functional, and table ready convenience it also provides a constant reminder of your great food which will increase reorder rates. Its an investment in your catering and food service business that will continue to work for you long after the food is enjoyed.   And the best part is when the customer is done using it (hopefully again and again) it's recyclable again. It will begin a new journey to be reformed into something else.  See what we did there?

Need some advice or great food service options that work for your business?  Please feel free to send us a message and we’ll reach out.    

Champagne Cocktails – Step up your holiday drink recipes

 

Another holiday year is upon us and as you scour the internet for Martha Stewart Champagne Cocktail recipes be sure to pay extra close attention to how you present your drink as well as the ingredients that make it up.    It’s proven - food and beverages that look better TASTE better.  Yes, we are here to show you some of the best disposable champagne flutes on the market but we are also going to tantalize your taste buds with some fancy fun champagne cocktail recipes as well. Fineline Settings wide selection of Champagne Flutes allow anyone with a spark of creativity bring the bar to the party!  It’s always nice to bring a bottle but it’s even better and easier on the host when you can bring the whole set up.  

Blackberry Ombre Renaissance:

INGREDIENTS

• Fineline Settings Renaissance Stemmed Champagne – Yes it’s disposable but will also make it through           the dishwasher.
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
•  1 cup sugar
•  1 cup water
•  4 sprigs fresh rosemary
•  1 bottle champagne

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil on high heat, and then reduce to a simmer and let cook for approximately 15-17 minutes. The blackberries will become soft and bright in color and a pinkish purple syrup will form. Making sure it cooks down enough is essential to keeping the ombre effect. Take off of the heat and drain the blackberries, keeping the syrup in a separate bowl. Set both aside and allow to cool.
2. Once blackberries and simple syrup are cooled, spoon about 4 tablespoons of syrup into the bottom of each champagne flute (this recipe makes 4 drinks)
3. Top with champagne.
4. Garnish with fresh blackberries or the cooked blackberries, and a sprig of rosemary.
5. Cheers! 

Renaissance Raspberry Mint Champagne Cocktails:

 Ingredients:

• Fineline Settings Shatterproof 10oz Stemless Champagne Flutes
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (if you prefer  your cocktails to be extra sweet, then kick it up to 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3-4 sprays of fresh mint leaves
• 3 pints raspberries
• 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
• chilled champagne, prosecco or cava

Instructions:

1. Make a Simple Syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan and stirring over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved
2. Add 2 sprigs of mint leaves and let them sit until the syrup cools
3. Rinse the raspberries and then toss them into a large pitcher
4. Pour in the lime juice & mix
5. Once the syrup has cooled, strain and pour it into the pitcher
6. Pour in the chilled champagne on top
7. Use the remaining mint leaves & raspberries for garnish 

Blackberry Lavender Champagne Cocktail:

INGREDIENTS

• Flairware 4oz old fashioned champagne glasses
• FOR THE BLACKBERRY SYRUP 1/3 cup blackberries, plus 8 more for garnish
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 bottle of Prosecco or champagne
• GARNISH - Sprigs of Lavender straight from the garden

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, bring the blackberried, water and sugar to a boil. Turn to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain blackberries and let syrup cool.
2. Add 2 tbsp. of syrup to the bottom of each glass. Top with champagne and add in a sprig of thyme and 2 blackberries!

A HOST OF OPTIONS AWAIT

Disposable champagne flutes from Fineline Settings are elegant and fun. Their sleek design and aesthetic will complement even the most elegant cristal champagne.  There are also a number of 2oz Tiny Champagne options available that you can creatively use for appetizers and desserts and really up your food presentation game.  If you would like to know where to buy elegant and sophistcated disposables for any event you can easily request a call from customer service or a local rep.  

 

 

Setting Up For Thanksgiving.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner there’s a lot to do.  Some people spend days in the kitchen prepping food and scouring the internet for things like the perfect gravy recipe.  Having friends and family over to be Thankful for all that is can sometimes be a stress especially when you find you might not have enough place settings for the amount of people coming over.  Rather than turn to any old plastic cups and paper plates for the kids and the random mismatched place setting for cousin Eddie rely on Fineline Settings to set the table for you.  Fineline settings premium disposable place settings are constructed with rigid cut proof plastic that will hold up to the toughest meal scenarios.  The look and feel of a Fineline Place setting is unbelievably real.  Your guests won’t believe they are disposable upon first glance. 

 

We take it all the way.

Fineline Settings has more than just place settings to make your event spectacular.   Pour on the elegance with our ultra-clear gravy boats.  A few of these peppered around the table will make it easy to serve that perfect gravy recipe you worked so hard on. 

Not enough Silverware?

No problem – there are many options to choose from. Check out this new pocket napkin set.  Setting the flatware is now as easy as dealing out cards.  The full-size linen like napkin will help keep the kids from wiping their cranberry sauce hands on their grandmothers table cloth. 

Need a platter for the Turkey? 

No problem .  There are plenty of medium, large and extra-large serving platter options from Fineline.   Item # 485 is a 25x14” oval tray– available in white, black or clear.  It’s’ large enough for the entire bird to be carved at the main event.  Here is a tip on how to carve a turkey.  The high rim designs of all of our serving platters will keep the juices where they belong – savoring in the meat. 

 

Responsible for bringing desert? 

Wow them with a bunch of Tiny Desserts -  Tinys are tempting and with many tiny tray and tumbler items from Fineline Settings you can show up looking like a pro-caterer.   

Holiday Party Catering Ideas:

Holiday season is here and whether you have a large budget or small budget there are plenty of places to find great ideas.  Here’s one that is sure to make the party that much more memorable, stretch your budget that much farther, and make planning your party that much more convenient – Use Fine Disposables. 

Disposables Save Time, Money and Labor. 

 Rental costs for serve ware range from about $4 per person to upwards of $7.50 per person.  That’s just to rent the stuff.  Additional costs may include fuel surcharge, price per mile delivery and additional labor to deal with it during the event.  Now you can get all the aesthetical appeal of fine china with disposables that look like fine china for about ½ the price of what it costs to rent.  No fuel charge, no delivery charge, no broken backs or broken dishes to disrupt the event either.  If your per person budget for your party is small you can instantly improve the perception of it with high end disposables and redirect the savings toward a better menu.  People eat with their eyes before their stomach and the better looking the food is the better it will taste and the more memorable it will be.  High end disposables are not expensive when you compare the cost to renting plates, flatware, and glasses.

Convenient Anywhere.

The greatest benefit to using disposables is to the event planner.   There are many venues that do not allow glass so you have no choice but to use disposables.  Using disposables opens your venue options wide open and there are many outdoor venues that are less expensive than indoor venues helping to save even more money without having to sacrifice elegance and sophistication.  Plus one less company and rental contract to deal with can be a blessing especially when you’re one of the party planners scrambling to put together a corporate event where the stakes to impress are high.  Simply using disposable items like stemless wine glasses will create ambiance for your event that is over and above using a random plastic cup for beverages like fine wine.

Disposables Are More Sanitary.

Sanitation is important at parties with a lot of guests.  Unfortunately, holiday party season coincides with flu season.  Studies show that single-use food service items are more sanitary than reusable dishes.  If you’re renting dishes you have no idea where they’ve been stored, the equipment and chemicals that were used to try and get them clean or who’s been handling them.  Sometimes chips on the edges of plates and glasses that seam harmless can be a breeding ground for bacteria that will give your guests the wrong memories of your event. Disposables have evolved so much in the last decade that they realistically could be used at a white glove service event.      

Take Away.

It’s time to rethink disposables.   Make any event spectacular regardless of what it’s for or where it is all while saving time and money without sacrificing elegance, sophistication, health and safety.  Check out a full line of options for any event at and request a catalog at our website. 

 

For the first time in history Americans spent more on restaurants and bars than they did on groceries.  This paradigm shift is creating huge opportunities within the restaurant industry that are up for grabs.  My initial thought on how companies can capitalize on the current restaurant trend was focused on making money catering.  However, when most people think of catering they think of food at a wedding, party or corporate event but in reading through this Morgan Stanley $210 Billion food delivery market forecast the real opportunity is going to be in catering to the masses. 

One Click Ordering:

Innovations in the prepared food delivery space are creating a secular shift away from what was once predominately pizza and Chinese into a wider array of restaurant and food type choices.  With one order click technology a hot delicious meal is just minutes away and trackable by smart phone applications.  Broader food choices combined with home delivery trends create an environment ripe for grabbing market share in this young developing industry. 

Packaging will make or break you:

 

Capitalizing on these emerging trends will require not only being at the top of your food game but also your food presentation game.  Your packaging choices will make or break your success based on how the quality and value of your food is perceived from the moment it shows up at you customers door.  Offering a range of single meal to family meal and large party options will help your restaurant establish itself as a “go to” option when mom doesn’t want to cook, the millennials want you just “one click” away, or dad is throwing the ultimate tailgate before the big game. Including items like tongs and serving utensils branded with your company information will offer convenience and perceived value as well as remain in your customers possession constantly reminding them that your great food is just “one click away.” Offering the option of "serving set ups" such as plates and rolled utensils with a per person surcharge is a strong strategy and will be an added convenience to your customers and cost nuetral to your establishment. 

Maximize Menu Offerings While Minimizing Sku’s: 

Product lines such as REFORM by Fineline Settings have a consistent look; interchangeable lids; are microwave, warming drawer, and dishwasher safe; and will help maximize your menu offering while minimizing unnecessary SKUs.  Reusable single serve and home meal replacement food service packaging is another constant reminder of the restaurant your customers like to frequently order from.    Increases in take out and online delivery requests will not only increase your revenue and loyal customer base, it will also help you avoid idle labor and food costs with the shifting tide of dine in or take out trends. 

Take Away:

With modern life styles and the necessity of dual income households, families are often faced with sacrificing prep time in the kitchen for spending time together over dinner around the table.  For savvy restaurateurs the formula of combining top quality ingredients with a versatile packaging system for multi-person table ready food is sure to be a winning equation.  For more information on performance food packaging to help you capitalize on these emerging trends connect with one of our regional sales manages with the button below. 

 

Answer: Anywhere! However, the real question to ask is “Does my take-out packaging COST money or MAKE money?”  If you always default to the cheapest to go food containers then they are probably COSTING YOU A LOT OF MONEY.  I recently ordered a catering salad for 8-10 people and a bucket of wings from one of our local spots and my wife said, “Is that our catering order, I WILL NEVER ORDER THAT AGAIN!”  even before the first bite.  It wasn’t because the food was bad, it was because of how it was packaged.  So what’s the lesson here?  Not only did this take-out packaging cost money, it cost them repeat business… and that’s a lot of money.   The true cost of losing a customer is staggering so don't risk it with cheap togo containers. 

Sell the Sizzle, not the steak. 

Have you ever heard that term?  I hear it used in many industries but it especially applies to the food service industry.   Being in the industry I see a lot of take out and in my opinion 90% of it fails miserably.  It fails because you can’t see it if you're using regular clam shell to go containers. There might be something delicious inside but if no one can see the food then it isn’t doing what it should be doing – attracting attention. 

WHAT did you get for lunch? vs. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT LUNCH?

Put your take-out containers through this one simple test.  When food leaves your restaurant what will your customer’s colleges ask them?  If it’s “WHAT did you get for lunch?” – it fails.  Why?  Because the answer to that question might be – a salad, a sandwich or some basic noun that does your establishment no good.  Even if the answer is “a salad from Mendy’s” the most likely remembrance of that encounter is the answer - salad.  If your deliciousness can be seen and the question is “WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SALAD?” the answer and result is obvious.  Your take-out containers are working for you. 

 Foggy = Soggy

One innovation in food service packaging that truly helps is anti-fog technology.  This technology keeps the food from developing condensation on the inside of the package so food remains crisp and fresh looking.  People eat with their eyes before their taste buds.  It is particularly important in grab-n-go situations where a customer is looking to buy something premade and ready to eat.  You need it to look pristine – you need it to Attract, Entice, and Convert to a sale.   

Other packaging features to consider.

Is it table-ready?  

If take-out food needs to be transferred to another plate to be enjoyed that plate should also be provided by your restaurant.  If the customer takes it home and has to “break out the dishes” your take-out program is losing a little bit of its convenience factor and your customer return rate is likely to decline. 

Are your containers reusable? 

Reusable take-out containers have really reformed the take-out food industry.  If you’re already spending money on food packaging that people throw away after 1 use why wouldn’t you spend a little more on something that stays around your customers homes for long periods of time?  Every time that customer handles that reusable to go container for their kid’s lunch, storing left overs, or even for nuts and bolts in the garage they will be remembering where they got it.  That constant reminder is worth a lot of money.  It’s a restaurant customer retention technique and your loyal customers are responsible for driving 80% of your new business. 

Want to improve your take out program? Request a catalog and local rep from Fineline.