EP72: What’s old is new again lessons from America’s restaurant tabletops

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting InternationalSustained profitability is difficult in the low-margin, highly competitive US restaurant industry, yet opportunities exist for suppliers with strong market insight. Tabletop products cutlery, dinnerware, drinkware and related items are essential to dining experiences but are often commoditized, with suppliers competing mainly on price, shape, and color. Operators focus on cost control, simplicity, and operational ease, while distributors resist unproven, low-volume innovations, making market entry difficult.At the same time, guest expectations are shifting toward experiential, customizable, and “share-worthy” dining. This creates openings for suppliers that offer genuinely value-added, trend-aligned products. A case in point is the revival of roasted bone marrow, which meets guest desires for novelty and theatrics while offering operators low costs and high margins. This trend revives demand for niche items like marrow spoons products many suppliers already stock but fail to promote.The key lessons are to deeply understand market details, rely on solid research rather than hype, rediscover overlooked solutions, and take a long-term, strategic approach. Innovative niche products can serve as powerful “foot-in-the-door” opportunities in rigid markets.