Tabletopjournal

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including a recap of , our take on the Corona Virus, , ’s new non-profit foundation and much much more!! In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Shannon talks about mixology and bartender tool trends In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about how happy employees make for happy customers. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news on the topics of the week including the Corona Virus, , , and much much more! In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, as he usually does, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week, Dave and Shannon talk about this year’s trends in glassware and why glassware is such a nimble category. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about increasing your personal productivity. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out www.TabletopJournal.com or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , 's Claude Peiffer and . In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave and Shannon sat down and talk about the trend of supplier companies merging and aligning. In the discussion - and something you won't want to miss - Shannon offers up some very cautionary advice for suppliers who might be considering such an action. Of course, Shannon Tallon is the Category Manager for both tabletop and buffetware for Chicago's .  In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave explains once again how critical Trust is - and how it can be re-built after it has been lost. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

In this week’s episode of Seat Yourself and our mini-series On The Frontlines, Chicago-based Greg Kirrish returns for a different type of discussion. Some listeners may recall that Greg joined us approximately a month ago to talk about what was happening on the street in hospitality in the greater Chicago area. This week, we asked Greg to join us to talk about the various restaurant re-opening protocols being discussed as cities around the world begin to open or consider when they will reopen for business. There are lots of considerations and none of them will be either easy or fast. Then, in our second segment, we take on the issue of mom-and-pop restaurants and their possibilities for survival versus the chains. Can these individual restaurants regain success and, if so, how will the dining out experience differ from large regional and even national chains be?

This week, we head north to Canada as we catch up with and have a conversation with Canadian foodservice expert Brian Wood. For the past 30+ years, Brian has been fully engaged in the Canadian hospitality sector from a wide variety of perspectives, now as CEO of his own foodservice agency selling to dealers from coast to coast. Knowing the market from the ground up, Brian is closely tied to both dealers and operators throughout Canada and he fills us in on the current situation there. He also sheds light on issues importers can be having with their global supply chain. As always, our intention in each of our On The Frontlines conversations is to get expert commentary and thoughts on what is happening in a particular market or region of the world. And we also want to understand what these thought-leaders like Brian Wood and his colleagues at are doing now to prepare for their eventual return to normal business conditions. Along with that…. more and more we are also discussing what that “new normal” may look l

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , , , Italy's and much more. In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sits down as usual with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Shannon and Dave talk about stainless steel flatware quality trends. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about creating trust in the recruiting process and why its important. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

This week, we stay in Europe as we catch up with Copenhagen’s from his business . Zander is closely tied to the bar and restaurant sector throughout the Scandinavian region and fills us in on the current situation there. As always, our intention in each of our On The Frontlines conversations is to get expert commentary and thoughts on what is happening in a particular market or region of the world. And we also want to understand what these thought-leaders are doing now to prepare for their eventual return to normal business conditions. Along with that…. more and more we are also discussing what that “new normal” may look like. Our conversations from our On The Frontlines mini-series continue to point out that, no matter where we are in this world, our situations within the hospitality sector remain similar. And, it seems quite apparent that – in hospitality, whether you are a supplier, a supply chain player or an operator - we are realizing the we’re all in this situation together. That’s part of the greatne

In this week’s episode of Seat Yourself and our mini-series On The Frontlines, we travel out to the west coast of the U.S. to have a conversation with manufacturers’ sales representative Josh Blitstein. Armed with a portfolio of world-class tabletop, buffetware products and top-quality cookware, Blitstein and his company – - are a leading conduit to business of mid-luxury operators of all types in Northern California, Hawaii, and Northern Nevada. In our conversation, Josh outlines the current state of the COVID-19 coronavirus in his sales area, along with what both his customers and the manufacturers that he represents are doing to prepare for the coming opening of the dining-in business. Along with a good dose of reality, Blitstein reiterates throughout our conversation his strong belief in the resilience and creativity of our foodservice and hospitality industry to not only survive but to eventually thrive.

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including, ’s Management Top 250 hospitality related companies, an update and ’s new website. This week, we also present to you a new and creative hospitality tabletop resource from Tarrytown, NY. In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Shannon talks about what makes a great vendor. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about building a better experience for your customer. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , , , , and much more! In our, 60 Seconds with Shannon segment, as he usually does Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Shannon talks about how vendors should be handling the Coronavirus. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about Stay Interviews...what they are and why you should be doing them.  For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. In this episode Dave starts off with the Stat of the Week. This week’s stat is the number 50. The National Restaurant Association revealed that 50% of U.S. millennials are more likely to order restaurant food and have it delivered to them than they were just two years ago. This week’s re-cap on the latest industry news and companies include Edward Don & Company, BHS Tabletop, NY Restaurant Show (featuring the Communications Manager, Amy Riemer), and Hollowick (featuring the Director of Marketing, Joel Nye). Our feature segment is 60 Seconds with Shannon of Edward Don & Company. In this segment, Dave asks the question of the week in relation to the tabletop industry. This week, Shannon Tallon talks about whether sales people sell their customers the right product or are they influenced by the relationship that they have with them. The final segment is a commentary piece. This week Dave addresses company culture

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , y, and much more! In our weekly 60 Seconds with Shannon segment, Dave and Shannon discuss what makes a particular product, or a particular company, attractive to partner with. Of course, Shannon is tabletop and buffetware Category Manager Shannon Tallon of Chicago-based .  In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave discusses the power of connection and offers tips on ways to strengthen our B2B connections. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , and an announcement from . In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Dave and Shannon talk about the trends with import tariffs on tabletop and buffetware products into the United States. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about celebrating success and why it’s so very important. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , and a restaurant sales update. In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sits down again with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week, Dave & Shannon talk about trends in melamine for 2020. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about bringing your “A” game every day - and why its so important for leaders to do just that. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , , Germany's and launches new 2020 catalog. In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, as he always does, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week, Dave and Shannon talk about what it takes to be a great glassware supplier. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about what a company’s purpose is why it's often more important than paycheck for employees.   For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people including , and more coverage from Ambiente 2020, including companies and . In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Shannon talks about banquet china and whether the upscale trend will continue or not. In this week’s Commentary segment, Dave talks about clarity and why we need to practice it regularly. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com

This week, we want to welcome you to a very different format for Seat Yourself. Given the very difficult and uncertain times everyone in our industry is going through, it really didn’t seem appropriate at this time to continue on with our standard format for our weekly podcast. So, beginning with this week’s episode of Seat Yourself, we are starting a mini-series that we’re titling “On The Frontlines” In our new On The Frontlines series, we’ll be speaking with people from all corners of our audience and with people who are, indeed, on the frontlines of the foodservice and hospitality industry. And, like all of us, they’re fighting for survival. Our intention in these conversations with these frontline warriors will be to get their views of what’s happening in their particular region but also we want to learn what are they doing to fight their way through this current situation for themselves, their teams and perhaps, most especially – their customers. Along with ideas for keeping their own teams together and

This week, we move to the great city of Chicago and catch up with Greg Kirrish to discuss life on the front lines of the hospitality industry. You may recognize Greg’s name from our other podcast Every Other Thursday and we are excited to have Greg bring his perspective as to what is happening on the streets in the Windy City region of the USA. Greg’s wide-ranging background makes him uniquely qualified to discuss the COVID-19 virus situation in foodservice & hospitality from nearly all angles. You’ll particularly appreciate his “think small” approach for what operators – and salespeople - can do during these unprecedented times. Greg’s experience working for the NRA Show also allows him to weigh-in on the future of that show – and trade shows, in general – so you won’t want to miss that conversation. Once again, our intention in each of our On The Frontlines conversations is to get the view of what’s happening in a particular region or sector, but we also want to learn what can be done and is being done

Welcome to a Special Edition of our SEAT YOURSELF podcast. As followers of SEAT YOURSELF know, this episode will be a different format than our regular weekly edition. In this special edition, our host, Dave Turner, is at 2020. You will here updates and interviews from several different people and companies straight from the show room floor. This episode runs approximately 20 minutes. You can find all episodes of SEAT YOURSELF at And, finally, we want to thank the for sponsoring in-part this Special Edition of SEAT YOURSELF. Edward Don & Company. Everything but the food for nearly 100 years. Always remember - #TabletopMatters

Seat Yourself delivers the latest news and information on the hospitality tabletop industry. This week’s episode features the latest industry news, topics, and people such as; , ’s Zach Zucker and Laurent Turmes from the booth at this years Host in Milano, Italy. In our segment, 60 Seconds with Shannon, Dave sat down with Category Manager Shannon Tallon of . This week Shannon talks about simplifying your wine glass selection process. For more information and insights on the hospitality tabletop industry, be sure to check out or email Dave at dt@tabletopjournal.com