Well restaurants in Canada have certainly had to adapt over the last 18 months. I do not envy their situation but I really do admire the ingenuity of how quickly they have been able to adjust to ever changing regulations.
And as much as we thought this would be a very temporary situation, I think we’ll feel its effects for quite a while.
I can’t remember the last time I ate a meal on a tablecloth. And I have only seen paper napkins.
In some cases my table has been covered with plastic so that it’s easy to sanitize. And instead of thinking it was odd, I thought the restaurant was being very smart.
Here are three things I think we’ll continue to see in tableware for years to come:
Disposable Cutlery
With indoor dining coming back, going away, coming back again. Take out has become the norm in good weather. Restaurants that have the outdoor space have installed picnic tables and offer outdoor dining as take out.
I do hope we can move toward using more sustainable disposable items such as biodegradable cutlery. Or to say no to cutlery all together, I’ll bring my own!
And I long for the days I could bring my own insulated mug to coffee shops. I understand why regulations have been in place that they must give it to us in disposable cups with an additional sleeve and plastic lids.
But I hope that changes.
Minimalist Table Decor
I think the days of tablecloths, cloth napkins, flower arrangements will be gone in the casual fine dining space for a while.
For fine dining restaurants charging hundreds for a meal you can still expect it. But otherwise we’re likely embracing minimalism.
Over the last 18 months restaurants have had to quickly adapt to changing needs. And so tablecloths and cloth napkins are gone, some tables now have plastic on top to ensure sanitization and minimalist decor is essential.
Supporting Local
With a minimalist approach, the plates we dine on will be even more important.
Ideally we’ll continue the trend of supporting local ceramic and pottery makers with interesting plateware as small businesses need this help.
In Atlantic Canada I have seen small businesses band together, promoting each others products and even selling local products at the front of their restaurant. Love that bowl you just had soup in? You can buy one at the front!
It’s a great way for foodies to support their local community.
What would you like to see happen?
I’ve partnered with @HostMilano as the Canadian ambassador for their international hospitality event in Milan Oct 18-22. Leading up to the event I’ll be sharing some of the top food trends in Canada.
Does the Table at Your Favourite Restaurant Look Different? is a post from: Bacon is Magic