Tablebases.com Blog

  We're always looking to enhance our selection of high-quality table bases, and we have some new series for you to choose from! Continue reading →

Trans fats have been a hot topic for some time now in the world of food and health. Health advocates have been proclaiming that partially hydrogenated oils - a major source of trans-fats - are unhealthy and should be avoided. Former New York Mayor Bloomberg, who embarked on many health-related campaigns, really got the ball rolling in 2006, when New York banned trans-fats in restaurants. In 2013, the Obama administration followed suit, declaring that partially hydrogenated oils are not generally safe.  According to the New York Post, the FDA could enact a nationwide ban on trans-fats, with the decision coming in as early as June of this year. Continue reading →

Spotted: B Series Table Bases in black under custom wood table tops, at Java Junction in sunny Santa Cruz, CA. We here at Tablebases.com have gotten into the habit of checking out the table bases at restaurants, cafés and bars we visit (yes, our friends think we are strange). When possible, we like to photograph restaurant interiors to give you an idea of how our bases look in a completed project. We also post photos of beautiful custom dining and kitchen tables that are submitted by our customers. If you've purchased one of our bases, and would like to share your custom project, feel free to send us photos and a description via email (send to [email protected]). We'll post the photos on our social media pages, and feature your project on our blog! Continue reading →

  As reported by Grub Street, restaurants' Facebook pages will now show reviews from New York, as well as other publications such as Bon Appétit, and more. In addition, reviews written by friends and other Facebook users will be shown. This all seems like a natural progression of Facebook's mission to be your one connected hub, driven by social interactions. Rather than seeing a star rating and reviews only from people who may or may not have the same tastes and priorities as you do (i.e. Yelp), Facebook's approach will put a spotlight on your friends and professional reviews. That is an interesting distinction, as Facebook will be showing reviews from sources that users may consider to be more trustworthy. Continue reading →

  A serious round of Avian flu is affecting midwestern farms in America, and is having a pronounced effect on the chicken industry. Farmers are being forced to kill around 38 million affected birds, about 87% of which are egg laying hens. As Grub Street reports, major companies are now bracing for a shortage in the supply of eggs, with large companies such as McDonalds scrambling* to find new suppliers. Continue reading →

  "The era of the overeducated barista is coming to a close." The recession in 2008 hit America hard, one of the most noticable results being that jobs were scarce, with over 15 million people unemployed, at peak. As a result, college graduates were taking lower-level jobs, with many recent grads under or unemployed. According to the Washington Post, in 2012 half of recent graduates were either underemployed or jobless. That trend seems to be reversing now, with recent research showing promising signs for college grads of the future. Continue reading →

American consumption of red wine is on the rise, along with the now ubiquitous craft cocktails and brews. In fact, a recent report from Technomic shows that wine consumption is rising faster than that of cocktails and beer, suggesting that your restaurant's wine menu may be ready for a refresh. One-third of survey respondents reported ordering more wine at restaurants relative to two years ago. Technomic estimates that wine purchases will increase by 3.1 percent this year, a noticeable increase over recent previous years. Continue reading →

  Chipotle has typically been ahead of the game in terms of progressive policies versus their competition, and the burrito chain has just dealt another blow to American fast food restaurants. Starting today, Chipotle has announced that all of the ingredients in the food they serve are GMO free. According to the AP, their menu was largely GMO free anyways, except for a tortilla. Continue reading →

  We recently posted an article on our blog, How Pop Ups Become Permanent Restaurants, and discussed how creative chefs can gain some brand exposure that can lead to a standalone restaurant by hosting fun pop up events. Event ticketing website Eventbrite has analyzed data from their events, and found that pop up restaurant events have surged in popularity over the last year. An analysis of 40,000 events showed that pop-up restaurants are the fastest growing trend on the site, with 82% growth over the last year. Continue reading →

  Drive through restaurants as we know them have been around since the late 1940s, and Americans have always been particularly fond of the convenient eateries. In 2011, Americans made a staggering 12.4 billion visits to drive through restaurants. That in and of itself is surprising, but it becomes even more interesting when you consider the results of a new survey conducted by Relevant Research. Their study estimates that one in six American households order not just for themselves at drive through restaurants, but also for their dogs. Continue reading →