Tableware

A common rule of thumb is to stock two to three place settings for every seat in your dining room, so a 40-seat restaurant would start with roughly 80 to 120 plates, forks, knives, spoons, and glasses. That covers the pieces on the table, the ones in the dish pit, and the extras that chip, bend, or walk off. High-turnover spots lean toward three, and slower dining rooms can get by on two. Much of our restaurant dinnerware and flatware comes in packs or sets of 12, which makes it easy to scale up, such as the Browne PALM White Porcelain Stacking Bowl (Pack of 12) and the Winco Dots Flatware (Set of 12). If you're outfitting a new location, count your seats, multiply, and order a few extra of each piece.

Both hold up in a commercial kitchen, and the choice usually comes down to durability and look. Porcelain is fired at a higher temperature than typical ceramic dinnerware, which makes it denser and more resistant to chips, so it's a go-to for high-volume dining rooms. The Browne PALM White Porcelain Plate is stackable, dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe, with a traditional narrow rim in classic American white. Ceramic suits a softer, simpler look: the Phoenix Ceramic Wide Rim Plate and Phoenix Milford Mug are both dishwasher and microwave safe, and the Phoenix Milford Ceramic Plate carries the same clean, classic Milford design. Either way, check that a piece is dishwasher safe before you order.

The numbers describe the steel: 18/0 contains about 18% chromium and no nickel, while 18/8 and 18/10 add 8 to 10% nickel. Nickel adds extra shine and corrosion resistance, but 18/0 is durable and budget-friendly, which is why it's common in busy restaurants, cafeterias, and banquet halls where flatware gets replaced regularly. Both the Browne LUMINO Flatware and Winco Dominion Flatware are 18/0 stainless steel; LUMINO has a mirror finish and Dominion has a medium-weight vibro finish. If you'd like more patterns to match your dining room, Browne also offers CELINE and WINDSOR flatware in sets of 12.