Little things on the table mean a lot

Nation's Restaurant News, Sept 1, 1997

"Every table is set with big tulip-shaped red wine glasses," Huckaby says. "It's a subtle selling tool, because it says to the customer `Go ahead and order wine.' Stemware is important. We sell a lot of kir royales because we serve them in elegant tall flutes. They look beautiful and people see them go by and say, `Hey, I'd like one of those.'"

Every operator makes the trip through the tabletop maze essentially alone, picking from among a myriad of choices to find the items that will reinforce a theme or set a mood. Those tabletops have a lot to say for themselves and customers hear them loud and clear.