At TabletopJournal, it's true.....we are definately passionate about hospitality tabletop. 

As much as one can, our entire team immerses itself in this category that adds so much to the restaurant dining experience. With our passion, we try inform...educate...entertain...and influence others to understanding just how important tabletop is. We are unabashed fans of both traditional and non-traditional tabletop and are constantly falling in and out of love with new products and companies on a weekly basis. We love it when we connect with others who share that passion....along with a passion for the entire hospitality business. 

But, we all must realize that passion - in and by itself - is sometimes not enough. 

That passion must be kept relevant to the needs our target audience. Lately, we have encountered passionate folks who are seemingly frustrated that the industry they have been so passionate about for so long is no longer the same business. They are correct....the business of hospitality tabletop has changed and in dramatic ways. The definition of tabletop is not what it was even five years ago. Buyers are getting their tabletop products from sources that didn't exist even two years ago. So, with all the change and disruption, we understand how some may feel a level of frustration, and where that frustration may come from. 

But, frankly, all industries evolve and change. Certainly, the restaurant business has changed as people's lifestyles have changed. All you need to do is look at a recent list of Michelin-starred restaurants to understand that the definition of fine dining has changed, responding to the demands of the dining public. Fine dining has become more approachable, menus have evolved to be more diverse, and chefs are shopping closer to home for products that are grown in more socially conscious and healthier ways. All of this, a constantly evolving process of remaining relevant to meeting consumer dining demands.

Yet, we often see tabletop companies that cling to not only their traditional products, but also their traditional ways of thinking and doing business. Longing for the "good old days" cannot bring them back. In fact, often, those times were not as good as our memories would have us believe. Not long ago, I was reminded of that when riding in a 1960's car model that I had always dreamed of owning. As much as I would have loved to own a 1966 Pontiac GTO, it can never compare to ride you get today in even the simplest car models. So, while the "good ol' days" were good....today's days are infinitely better. A bit more hurried and complex perhaps, but certainly better in a myriad of ways.

And that's how we see the hospitality tabletop business. 

We remain passionate about the tabletop category, not because of what it was....but, for where we believe its going. The idea that tabletop can be nearly whatever you dream it to be is fantastic to us. Metal, rocks, glass, plastics...yet be developed polymers...nature's gifts of wood and leaves....these materials - and more -  all are now being used and being called tabletop. In the past ten years and longer, the hospitality tabletop category has been continually redefining itself and there are some incredible creative and inventive people who are leading the way. We applaud them and try to bring these companies and their products to our pages each week. 

So, always keep that passion - and that relevance.......and, of course, always remember....#TabletopMatters!

Cheers!

Dave Turner

TabletopJournal

www.tabletopjournal.com