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Benefits of Reusable Napkins and Table Linens 

reusable napkins tablecloths restaurant

There is a long-standing debate between reusable napkins and table linens versus their single-use, disposable counterparts. Both have their benefits and drawbacks depending on how they’re used. Disposable options benefit home kitchens for convenience and cleanliness.

For professional kitchens or restaurants, however, there is absolutely no contest: cloth napkins and table covers are the best.

Here are some reasons why:

Reusable Napkins and Tablecloths are Sustainable 

Reusable napkins and table linens are your restaurant’s best option if you’re looking to step up your business’s sustainability efforts. As convenient and inexpensive as disposable options are for everyday, they are also some of the least sustainable items around.

For one, they are single use. Because they generally have food or grease on them after they’re used, they go in the trash. As a result, they end up in landfills.

Reusable napkins have hundreds in them, especially when maintained expertly. With the right laundry service, you’ll get more usage with a lower carbon footprint. 

The Cleanliness Of Reusable Napkins and Tablecloths

Reusable linen napkins and tablecloths are as hygienic as their single-use, disposable counterparts. With a reliable laundry process, and careful handling that minimizes mistakes and/or risks of contamination, you can get safe, hygienic results for your reusable napkins and table linens.

Appearance

Diners go into restaurants with certain expectations in mind, and diners expect higher price tags when they see linens on their tables. And unsurprisingly, a majority of diners are actually more willing to part with their dollars when high-quality reusable linen napkins and table covers are on their tables as opposed to paper napkins.

This proves that reusable napkins and tablecloths boost and positively impact the appearance of your restaurant. The right linens give an aura of exclusivity, propriety, and cleanliness that no paper napkin and single-use table cover – even the monogrammed or textured ones – can ever come close to replicating.

Cost Efficiency

Paper napkins and table covers have low costs at first, but that doesn’t take volume over time into account. When you factor in the comparison between napkin to customer ratio, you’ll realize how it all adds up. You will hardly ever find diners needing more than one cloth napkin per meal, mostly from the fact that cloth napkins are more effective at cleaning. Also, cloth napkins don’t fall apart unlike their paper counterparts. One diner can easily go for more than five paper napkins per meal. That’s bound to hurt the budget!

Cloth napkins, via commercial restaurant linen rental services, are the more cost-efficient way to go. With no upfront costs, zero overheads on their upkeep, and no time lost to the tedious task of washing, folding, and ironing the linens, you can look at long-term savings and improved efficiency compared to owning and maintaining your linens.

Century Linen is the Right Partner

The next step is finding the right partner to take care of your linen service needs. In upstate New York, there’s only one name you can trust for your restaurant linen needs: Century Linen Services!

Century Linen has over 100 years in the commercial linen service industry and millions of pounds of restaurant linens expertly processed throughout these years.

Contact us today at (800) 721-7648 to get started or to speak to our in-house experts and learn more about how we can help your business.