Using Restaurant Ware at Home

Ever teach a set of preschoolers how to do the dishes?

Ever seen a two year old fill up a drinking glass all by his self?

Can your current dishes stand up to years of daily use and abuse?

Does your family enjoy eating outdoors, but you find it hard to take “nice” dishes to the picnic table?

These are some of the reasons we chose to purchase restaurant quality plates, bowls, and cups to incorporate into our daily tableware.

A few years back I began teaching my then-preschool girls how to do the dishes. With teeth clenched in that smile all moms have when their babies do something that will surely have to be redone later, I realized quickly that if this were to become a daily chore, we were in for a shortage of dishes!

 I tried adding a few dollar store picnic-ware plates, but found these to yield to every fork mark and knife slice we gave ‘em. We needed something very childproof that wouldn’t have to be discarded in a few months! Already equipped with a practically invincible set of stainless silverware from our wedding, we found a box of restaurant-quality frosted plastic juice cups at a garage sale that passed the test. I was hooked!

After a few months, I had my eyes peeled for plates and found pastel divided plates at a thrift shop. Then we explored a used restaurant supply store and found a deal on plastic bowls and nostalgic looking lunchroom trays. They were previously used in an old school cafeteria, but in excellent shape!

For those seeking a pretty table, an elegant step up could include clear salad plates or solid white restaurant china. Or perhaps just look at different colors. I have found that in order to accommodate school colors and restaurant themes, restaurant ware can be bought in a variety of colors or even patterns that would match most kitchen décor. Think of it like you would your usual dishes and mix and match patterns and colors or select just one monotone for all of your dishes for simplicity.

Our choice is usually function over style, but I hope to be able to incorporate more stylish pieces as ours eventually disappear. (Here’s where you might notice I said that our restaurant ware will disappear before it breaks! So far, I lose more bowls to “feeding the cat a treat” than really wearing them out!)

They outlast cheap imported summer plastic picnic-ware by a mile.

What type of dishes does your family use?

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Weekly Homemaking Party