Selected Archives
Selected stories 2011-2021
Speaking of space saving ideas, Arcoroc's STACK UP collection of stackable barware seemed to be getting plenty of interest by operators looking for stylish, yet practical glassware. Brought to market by Cardinal Glass, these stack-friendly glasses come in both short tumbler and hi-ball sizes. The Rosenthal and Sambonet brands showed plenty of great products with both backstamps, with their Platinum SKIN Rosenthal dinnerware and the corresponding SKIN flatware from Sambonet getting plenty of love from the participating designers in the Tabletop Challenge competition.
The first annual TabletopJournal "TABLETOP CHALLENGE" took place on Day 1 of the IHMRS Show and what an event. Five teams of creative designers stepped up to create their very best tabletops using great products from various tabletop producers and a box of "mystery" props such as nails, scarves, a Chinese language newspaper, a miniature Statue of Liberty, and more. The products available to them were not revealed until right up the last moment and, as if that wasn't stressful enough...they all were under a 30 minute time limit! The design teams were given world-class hospitality tabletop products from event sponsors such as Steelite, Rosenthal, Sambonet, Eastern Tabletop, Hospitality Glass Brands, and Norex/Safelite. In addition, Arcoroc and Jono Pandolfi also contributed products. The overall winner will be determined with a "people's vote" throughout the remainder of the show. Initial balloting has been heavy and halfway though Day 2 and ballots had to be reprinted to supply enough to so that voting could continue! Voting continues until the end of the show and the winner to be announced Wednesday evening! So, stay tuned ...and if you're at the show now...now sure you get your vote in! And here are the tables below, along with the designer's information and a list of the products they chose: Table #1Anfora Sedona Dinnerware – Steelite Craft Dinnerware sideplate – Steelite Forum Glass Ambler Tumbler – Hospitality Glass Table Lighting – Norex Nendoo Salt & Pepper – Rosenthal Bora Flatware – Arcoroc/Cardinal Crucial Detail Pitchers – Steelite Sticky Bricks – Eastern Tabletop Tabletop Designer: Gustavo Bonet, Project Designer BBG-BBGM 646.789.2229 [email protected] Architecturally trained at the University of Florida with a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University, Gustavo’s experience in the world of furniture design and fabrication can be seen in the level of execution and hand crafted connection to all of his work. Recently his body of work has focused on parametric design development and workflows to execute complex 3-dimensional forms and architectural projects. His knowledge of digital fabrication methods as well as through design documentation continually leads to successfully completed projects. Table # 2Skin Platinum Charger Plates – Rosenthal Skin Underplates - Rosenthal Imagine Flatware - Sambonet Table Lighting – Norex Nambe’ Bowl Serving Dish – Steelite Nendoo Pedestal and Small Plate – Rosenthal Crucial Detail Plateau Underplate – Steelite Nambe’ Salt & Pepper - Steelite Sticky Bricks – Eastern Tabletop Tabletop Designers: Lesley Hughes Wyman, RID, IIDA, NEWH, ASID Tamara Ainsworth Principal, Registered Interior Designer MatchLine Design Group, LLC Lesley – 972.841.1922 Tamara – 214.697.0103 [email protected] Designers with over 20 years in the industry and over 10 years as partners. Worked successfully on multiple residential and commercial projects in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, including the recently completed Red River Casino and Hotel. Table #3Craft Dinnerware – Steelite Lady Diamond Wineglass – Arcoroc/Cardinal Nambe’ Infinity Coasters – Steelite Welsh Slate – Steelite Nambe’ Three Bowl Oval Dish – Steelite WNK Ovation Flatware – Steelite Sticky Bricks – Eastern Tabletop Tabletop Designer: Joemy Vega Principal deVega Studios 407.446.5836 [email protected] Has designed over 50 Hard Rock hotels and resorts and has recently worked on the Delta Sky Box, Jim Beam Lounge and the MVP at Yankee Stadium Table #4Skin Platinum Charger and B&B Plate – Rosenthal Skin Dinner Plate – Rosenthal Skin Flatware – Sambonet Table lighting – Norex Branch Bowl – Eastern Tabletop Forum Tumblers – Hospitality Glass Forum Red Ramekin – Hospitality Glass Sticky Bricks – Eastern Tabletop Tabletop Designer: Kevin McGrinder McGrinder Associates 201.585.1620 [email protected] Industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in helping clients with customized solutions. Table #5Oval Server Dish – Jono Pandolfi
Nick & Nora Cocktail Glass – Steelite Welsh Slate – Steelite Twist Flatware – Sambonet Table Lighting - Norex White Sedona Sidedish – Steelite Branch Style Bowl – Eastern Tabletop Bormioli Rocco Water Glasses - Steelite Sticky Bricks – Eastern Tabletop Tabletop Designers: Gustavo Gutierrez and Tina Delia Delia Designs 609.977.0820 [email protected] Partners in a Philadelphia based design firm focusing on a wide range of commercial and residential applications with an emphasis on studios, spas and salons 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:
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!
Starting with the CEO, brands are symbolized by the people who work for the brand. This is not new, but what is new is the relative lack of differentiation or “commoditization” of much of the tabletop category. TabletopJournal has spent a great deal of time writing about differentiation and how important it is on both the supplier and the operator side. However, the fact is that many of the tabletop products - and restaurants - are remarkably similar and barring any apparent unique points of difference, the buyer’s main decision driver will be price. With such similar products, the overall brand image has become the area to differentiate and the people who represent the brand have become an increasingly important area of differentiation. Fortessa adds several new Sales Vice Presidents, Dudson adds a VP, Sales for North America, Oneida continues it's upgrade and now, intergration of its new sister company Anchor Hocking, Libbey adds a new Director of Marketing, Rosenthal/Sambonet names a new National Account Manager, Tuxton does the same…..all with the idea that these new “brand ambassadors” will help build each company’s brand essence and culture in a positive direction. After all, often the employee IS the brand. TabletopJournal feels that this trend towards upgrading sales and marketing talent will continue with short term results certainly at the center of the target hiring goals. But, when looking to upgrade the organization, there is also a longer-term "brand makeup” goal that needs to be considered. When looking to add to an organization, how the new employee will contribute to the long-term brand attributes ..or, essence...has to be thought about.
TabletopJournal’s evangelism goes beyond simply focusing on cool products and extends to helping other talented, kindred spirits find one another and to help conpanies realize the importance of each and every hire, particularly for postions that have extensive customer interaction. Tabletop recruiter Mike Hawkins explains it well in his recent article “Recruiting Superior Tabletop Sales and Marketing Talent” and we are pleased to be able to bring his expertise to both hiring companies and to candidates.
Brand building is a long-term journey. And, the people you hire - your "brand ambassadors" are often the true long-term brand differentiators. Choose your people wisely. When we showed you the new Rosenthal China catalog "In Best Hands" you may have noticed the stunning faceted shape on the cover - MALIA - and its diamond-shaped look that gives the rim a refined and sophisticated appearance. The faceted texture presents a marriage between contemporary relief art and never-before-seen designs on fine porcelain. Rosenthal's newest creation uses diamond-like facets to create a unique partnership with light, showing the lustre of a sparkling and brilliant gem for the table. Perfect for the finest culinary artistry, MALIA also incorporates all the practical requirements required by restaurateurs. With ten round plate sizes and and an additional five oval/square platters, even the most discriminating chef will find plenty to choose from. The Sambonet- Rosenthal combination continues to deliver to hospitality tabletop everywhere a re-newed sense of tabletop style and elan rarely found in our increasingly commoditized world. New MALIA certainly continues that trend. Beauty and perfection of the highest standards, the new, rejuvenated Rosenthal sends a signal to restaurateurs everywhere that the Rosenthal brand once again stands for luxury, design, and uncomprimising quality. To see the entire collection of Rosenthal China for the hospitality sector, go here: http://int.hotel.rosenthal.de/
Page 30 from the current catalog of flatware producer Sambonet.......
The brand positioning here of Sambonet as more than a seller of forks, knives, and spoons is strong. How are you positioning your brand? Whether you are a restaurateur.....a distributor/dealer.....a sales person.....or a sales rep firm.......your brand has a certain position in your potential customer's mind. Is it the position you want? Nice job, Sambonet. With the company's reputation as a design pioneer, Rosenthal China has been producing trailblazing designs and shapes for the past 130 years. Targeting beauty while never compromising on quality, Rosenthal's innovative creations might not be for everyone, but if your guests have their coffee served in Rosenthal's MODERN DINING cups and saucers, they will certainly be impressed. Talk about elevating the guest experience! To see the entire range of Rosenthal Hotel China, go here: http://int.hotel.rosenthal.de/1886/Start.htm
With the combining of the Sambonet brand and the Rosenthal brand pretty much behind, a sleek, innovative...and dare we say, sexy...new source for great tabletop is emerging. Both Sambonet and Rosenthal have been design leaders for generations, with quality never questioned. Now, with the sales, marketing, and distribution magic being consistently applied to both brands, restaurateurs who want to elevate their guest experience can rely on the combination of Sambonet/Rosenthal to not disappoint. And perhaps we can look forward to Rosenthal leading the return to decorated china patterns with some of their stylish and trend setting designs like those on their Epoque shape above. Shape and color have been Rosenthal standards for decades and that continues with some of their newer shapes like TACtile below offer both. And with Sambonet, they've always had a special sense of making flatware soft and sensual. Whether through their classic designs such as Laurier and Baroque....or their more modern designs such as Dream or Linear....Sambonet has always brought a strong sense of tactile expression to their products. Sambonet's new Skin flatware pictured above is one of the early results of this dynamic design combination. Proving that good tabletop design works regardless of the product, Sambonet's new Skin flatware continues the sensory experience of the Skin dinnerware design onto both stainless steel and silver plate flatware With both the Sambonet and the Rosenthal catalogs exceeding 300 pages and 5 languages, there is something for everyone. If dining out is about feeding the heart and mind...as well as the rest of the body.....then restaurateurs need to consider the Sambonet/Rosenthal combination. It's truly designed for the senses.
Today Rosenthal and Sambonet supply the most important hotel chains in the world such as Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Marriott, St. Regis, W Hotel as well as independent hotels, casinos, restaurants, resorts, and cruise lines. To see the entire range of both Sambonet and Rosenthal lines designed for the hospitality trade, go here: Sambonet: http://www.sambonet.it//html/home.php?PHPSESSIONID=c765016735b8eddafa2e9b1e2261fa25&lang=en Rosenthal: http://int.hotel.rosenthal.de/ Ok....so they are not finding their way to the best tables in town....but don't think restaurant owners and managers are not picking things up here - they are. From wine glasses to candle votives - even bar supplies - smart operators are shopping IKEA.
I don't think Villeroy & Boch, Wedgwood, Riedel or Sambonet need to worry just yet. But, for low-mid level tabletop items, IKEA is growing as a source. For those companies not adding value to the supply chain....you had better pay attention. |
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