‘Plating up’ is the finishing touch on any meal – and choosing the right plates is the finishing touch on your restaurant’s design.

Have you thought about how easy the plates will be to clean? What’s the deal with those big, flat, white dishes? How do you choose mugs that reflect your commitment to ethically farmed coffee? Read on to find out.

It’s end of year function time. The floors are swept and there are white cloths on the trestle tables – that doesn’t mean your job as host-venue is done.

Absolutely, you can leave things at the bare minimum, and some clients like that. They enjoy the thrill of decking out a blank canvas with all the trappings they can dream of.

However, most clients will not be full-time event planners and they will need your help. 

The silly season is fast approaching. Depending on where you are in the world, you may still be cleaning Halloween’s cobwebs off the walls as the baubles and tinsel start to go up.

Deciding how far your café will go to celebrate Christmas is an important, and sometimes personal, choice. Here are some tips for adapting your menu for Christmas, from the subtle to the extravagant.

The history of food trucks can be traced back to one guy, Walter Scott, who parked his “lunch wagon” outside a Rhode Island news bureau in 1872.

Now, food trucks are part of the American landscape, with coffee carts and hot dog stands representing the nation’s entrepreneurial spirit. Food trucks are a great way to enter and test a market, without blowing a huge amount of capital.

They can also teach potential restaurateurs how to navigate legal and bureaucratic issues. Food trucks can help build a brand’s profile before the launch of a fully fledged sit-down eatery.

Here are eight food trucks that traded in the nomad life for a bricks and mortar restaurant existence. Each made the journey in their own way and for different reasons.

Merchandise and gifts are neat ways to spread awareness of your brand. You can leave them in a bowl at the counter for people to collect, or you can pop one on the bill tray with every purchase.

But how do you choose the best item for your cafe?