SternoCandleLamp, industry leader in providing food heating and table lighting solutions to cafes, resorts, and catering professionals.

Outdoor Catering Made Easy with Portable Stoves

Posted on June 17, 2013 by brookey

As a caterer, you might dread it when a client requests outdoor catering. However, thanks to SternoCandleLamp’s new portable stoves, you have nothing more to dread. Even when you’re away from a full kitchen you have the option to prepare a variety of food, thanks to the possibilities presented by our family of butane stoves.

Portable Stoves from SternoCandleLamp

Choose from:

7,000 BTU portable stove
9,000 BTU portable stove
The new 15,000 BTU stove with wind-block technology to prevent the flame from going out. Professionals argue that this is the most effective stove in the marketplace today.

It’s easy to safely use any option from our family of portable stoves. Simply remove the lid from an 8oz canister of fuel, pull back the collar notch, open the cartridge, and the canister slides right into place. Close the lid, push down the safety lock, and ignite the fuel to generate an even flame for portable cooking.

Action-Station Cooking

True, portable stoves don’t offer all the benefits of a full kitchen, but they allow you to take your cooking anywhere. Impress your guests with your outdoor catering skills by cooking up flambé peppers. Start by roasting whole peppers in a skillet over the portable stove. Remove the skillet from the burner, douse the pan with warm brandy, and return it to the burner. Anytime you can flambé peppers or other food in front of your guests, do so!

Action-station cooking is one of the most profitable things you can do for your business. It gives clients an up-close-and-personal look at how their food is created. Say you decide to use the flambé peppers idea. Cook up all the peppers you need in advance, but show how it was done during the event with action-station cooking. Your customers will be impressed by the flame and want to order more food, which is good for them and good for your business.

To learn more about SternoCandleLamp’s portable stoves and lighting solutions, visit our website and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Creating Ambiance with Traditional and Flameless Candles

Posted on June 7, 2013 by brookey

When creating ambiance in your home, you might opt for traditional or flameless candles for the flickering, low light you desire. There’s no better way to create a romantic, relaxed setting in your home than with candlelight, whether from a real flame or a flickering LED light.

Now, if you’re a restaurant owner or caterer, consider the type of lighting you want to achieve at your establishment, or the way you plan on creating ambiance at your next event. Lighting is everything. In fact, visually pleasing lighting is enough to impress guests and make your restaurant or event more memorable.

Traditional Candles

There’s something exceptional about using real candles at your restaurant or event. The benefits of traditional candles are many:

Guests are used to seeing flameless candles, so by creating ambiance with a real flame, you stand out in your customers’ minds.
The wax comes in a variety of colors to create the precise look you desire.
Some traditional candles are scented, a feature that can add to the ambiance of your event.

Traditional candles require semi-frequent replacement; keep that in mind when planning your budget. They also cannot be used anywhere a strict fire code is enforced.

Flameless Candles

There are many benefits available to you when creating ambiance with flameless candles:

If they get knocked over, there’s no harm done.
You can use them anywhere, from an outdoor setting on a windy evening to a building with strict fire codes.
Children can handle them.
Rechargeable flameless candles can be used again and again thanks to a recharging station. This is good news for the environment and your budget.

To learn more about creating ambiance with SternoCandleLamp’s lighting and catering solutions, visit the SternoCandleLamp website to pick up all the right equipment, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Create Ambiance with Flameless Candles and Land Customers for Life

Posted on May 31, 2013 by brookey

What do flameless candles and customer service have in common? They both have the capability to land you “customers for life.” This means once a guest eats at your restaurant, they won’t settle for your competitors ever again.

It sounds simple, but it may require you to think about your restaurant a little differently than usual. For example, are you putting your primary focus on a restaurant marketing plan, or making the experience for your guests more enjoyable with flameless candles and other techniques to improve the atmosphere?

While it’s true that a bigger check means a bigger sale, landing customers for life means you need to focus more on serving people rather than serving food. Here are three specific tips for creating ambiance with flameless candles and other techniques to land customers for life:

Create a great experience: Most customers have come to accept mediocre service. That means, if you can stand out from the rest and offer a truly great, memorable experience, you encourage your customers to come back. Do this by being stocked and prepared, offering top-notch food, and making customer service your number one priority.
Provide a clean facility: Customers take mental notes, often subconsciously, about the cleanliness of your establishment. If the menus are grimy and the restrooms are unkempt, it leaves a bad impression. That means you should expand your focus beyond the quality of the food and make cleanliness a priority as well.
Fashion an inviting atmosphere: Along with cleanliness and a great experience, focus on fashioning an inviting atmosphere. Cover the windows to prevent glare, dim the lights to add a high-end feel, and add flameless candles to every table for ambiance. Wax candles are a classic option that provide the flickering glow you’re looking for as well.

For more information on creating the perfect ambiance for your restaurant or event with flameless candles, be sure to visit our website or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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3 Things You Need To Know About Restaurant Catering

Posted on May 22, 2013 by brookey

If you’re looking to bolster your restaurant marketing and increase sales, catering is the answer. Any restaurant can add catering to its repertoire to boost revenue with a relatively small investment. Here’s what you need to know.

Benefits of Restaurant Catering:

Greater exposure: Reach a greater audience by providing your excellent menu options outside the walls of your establishment.
Greater sales: Franchises and independent restaurants alike can increase sales by offering catering services to customers.
Enhanced image: Restaurants that cater are often considered higher-end than those that don’t. However, it’s important that you don’t take on more than you can handle. You don’t want to compromise quality, which won’t serve to bolster restaurant marketing successfully.

Choose a Catering Style

On-site catering: If you have a space separate from the traditional dining area, you can provide on-site catering for special events. SternoCandleLamp recommends using a ballroom or other area, and create the appropriate ambiance using flameless candles.
Off-site catering: Making food in your kitchen and transporting it elsewhere is certainly a viable option. Choose from the following to bolster restaurant marketing:
- Full-service catering: This is the most involved form of catering and puts you in charge of cooking, transportation, setup/take down, serving, food disposal and décor (including flameless candles for ambiance, linens, table centerpieces, etc.)
- Drop-off/pick-up catering: You’re responsible for cooking and transporting the food, as well as picking up equipment and leftover food afterward. However, everything in between is not your responsibility.
- Boxed lunch catering: Tour groups and corporate lunches often choose this option. It involves prepackaging menu items into single-serve boxes and arranging a pickup or delivery to the event’s location.

Select the Proper Equipment

Serving dishes: If you plan to serve hot food, you need enough chafing dishes for the job. You must also have a supply of chafing fuel to use with the dishes. Green chafing fuel is a popular option among restaurant owners who want to bolster restaurant marketing with environmentally friendly catering options.
Food carriers: Insulated food carriers help keep food hot between cooking and consumption.
Cutlery: Think about the type of cutlery you need to offer. An extra supply of flatware is necessary for formal on- and off-site events, while disposable plastic wear is appropriate for boxed lunches and more casual events.

If you decide to start catering events to bolster restaurant marketing and increase sales revenue, be sure to visit the SternoCandleLamp website to pick up all the right equipment, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Posted in Bolster Restaurant Marketing | Leave a comment

4 Great Tips for Throwing the Perfect Graduation Bash

Posted on May 16, 2013 by brookey

Graduation Party

Once your high school or college grad has a diploma in hand, it’s time to celebrate with cold drinks and great food. It’s easy to host dinner or a party at home to save money and still deliver a night to remember for the happy graduate. Here are four ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Select a Theme

Ask the graduate if there’s a specific theme he or she wants to incorporate, such as a luau, sports, music, or another interest. The theme will help inspire invitation design, decorations, music and food.

Decide on Games

Many graduation parties are open houses. But, if you want to schedule something more structured with planned activities, go right ahead. Simply fill the time with games or other activities to entertain guests.

Pick a Menu

Ask the graduate what foods she wants to serve at the party. From finger sandwiches and deviled eggs to meatballs and chicken wings, plan on a mixture of cold and hot foods to satisfy every guest’s palate. Don’t forget the cake! No graduation party is complete without a cake to commemorate the accomplishment.

Get the Right Equipment

Remember that you need chafing dishes and chafing fuel to serve food at a safe temperature for hours. Both gel and liquid wick chafing fuel are available. SternoCandleLamp’s liquid wick chafing fuel features a spill-proof design and a can that stays cool to the touch.

There’s also green chafing fuel for the least environmental impact possible. Safe Heat Green Wick and Green Heat Gel chafing fuels are biodegradable and the cans are recyclable. The even, moderate heat you get from chafing fuel makes it ideal for graduation parties lasting several hours.

What are your ideas? Let us know in the comments below!

For more information on using SternoCandleLamp chafing fuel to keep your food warm during the perfect at-home graduation party, be sure to visit the SternoCandleLamp website, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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New Portable Food Warming and Creative Lighting from SternoCandleLamp

Posted on May 10, 2013 by brookey

NRA Show 2013

The NRA Show 2013, scheduled for May 18-21 in Chicago, is quickly approaching. SternoCandleLamp will be there, unveiling new portable food warming equipment, flameless candles and chafing dishes. Here’s a glimpse of each of these innovations for the foodservice industry.

Portable High-Powered Butane Stove

This heavy-duty stove has an impressive 15,000-BTU heat output. The flame is perfect for any professional cooking application, and the stove is CSA certified. Other features include:

Piezo electronic ignition with a safety lock
Automatic safety shut-off sensor
Wind-block attachment for outdoor cooking and food warming

WindGuard™ Fold-Away Stainless Steel Chafer

If you’ve ever faced issues with wind and having enough space for adequate portable food warming, you’re certainly not alone. This chafing dish offers a unique, wind-resistant design that keeps food hotter and conserves fuel by 10 percent. Plus, the Fold-Away design enables the dish to collapse down to less than 2 inches thick, making this food warming chafing dish the epitome of portability.

Lumina FX2 Flameless Candle

Prepare yourself for the next generation in LED candle technology. The Lumina FX2 flickers like a traditional candle with the functional benefit of a remote control and stackable recharging station. The brighter glow and more authentic “flame” color make the Lumina FX2 from SternoCandleLamp the perfect option for any restaurant setting or catering event.

In addition, SternoCandleLamp will introduce 30 new tabletop lamp options at the NRA Show, with patterns and styles that accompany the Lumina FX2 perfectly.

More at the NRA Show

During SternoCandleLamp’s time at the four-day NRA Show, we will demonstrate how to use some of our leading culinary products and services:

The Butane Culinary Torch – It’s great for melting, browning, crisping and caramelizing any menu item.
MyLampPro Mobile App – This newly expanded app enables foodservice professionals like you to preview lamps at your actual table setting prior to making a purchase. That way, you know what different lamps look like so you can buy with confidence.
SternoCandleLamp Foodservice Catalog: We will debut this new foodservice catalog, which will make it easy to find everything you need from SternoCandleLamp.

Visit the SternoCandleLamp website to learn more about our portable food warming solutions and flameless candles, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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3 Pros/3 Cons: Should You Offer a Discount for Well-Behaved Kids?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by brookey

Discounts for Well-Behaved Kids

Sogno di Vino, a restaurant in Seattle, gives servers the option to offer a discount to customers if their children are well behaved during the meal.

It works for Sogno di Vino. Could it work for you?

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons:

Pros:

It rewards the good instead of punishing the bad. Annoyed patrons have long suggested charging customers more if their disruptive, noisy children make dining less enjoyable for others. Restaurant owners respond by saying this hostile approach is not appropriate; they would rather reward families with well-behaved children rather than punish those who had a rough night.
It provides a marketing opportunity. By using social media and other means to get the word out, eatery owners can bolster restaurant marketing by enticing families to dine with them in order to possibly receive a discount.
It improves the restaurant’s environment. If families know they might receive a discount for their kids’ good behavior at a particular restaurant, they are bound to expect more from their children while dining. That has the potential to reduce stress for wait staff and make the restaurant an overall quieter, more relaxing atmosphere for all guests.

Cons:

Some families feel cheated. If a restaurant advertises that it offers discounts for well-behaved kids, but the decision is at the server’s discretion, some families may feel cheated if they don’t receive the discount despite what they think is good behavior from their children. This subjective approach is dangerous when it comes to maintaining customer satisfaction.
Special needs children may be neglected. Some children can’t help being “noisy” or “disruptive” when a mental or physical disability prevents them from controlling their actions. Rewarding families with “normal” children can be offensive to parents of special needs children who are doing their best.
Some people see it as an inappropriate bribe. While it’s a good technique to bolster restaurant marketing, some restaurant patrons argue that kids should simply be expected to behave in public.

What do you think? Should restaurants offer a discount for well-behaved kids as part of their efforts to bolster restaurant marketing? Leave us your thoughts below.

For more tips on how to bolster restaurant marketing, visit SternoCandleLamp.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Posted in Restaurants | Leave a comment

Instagram Revolutionizes Restaurant Marketing: 4 Tips for Getting Patrons Through Your Door

Posted on May 1, 2013 by brookey

#BestFoodEver

With the rise of Instagram, photos are taking over the Internet. And for good reasons: they appeal to emotions, reveal a company’s personal side, and engage customers at a visceral level.

Here’s what you need to know to maximize the power of Instagram for your restaurant marketing efforts:

1. Establish a Hashtag

By using the hashtag symbol (#) in front of your restaurant’s name on Instagram, your photos are automatically added to a search base. Then, use other hashtags that have to do with specific pictures that can be added to more search bases. For example, the label under a picture of a chef giving fajita cooking demonstrations could include the hashtags #cookingdemos and #fajitas, along with your restaurant’s name. Then, when people search for cooking demonstrations or pictures of fajitas, your image will show up in their search results.

2. Publicize an Event

It’s important to get the word out about upcoming events to bolster restaurant marketing. Social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are great platforms for spreading the word. When using photos on Instagram, make sure you use relevant hashtags so people can find your pictures, which should be images that advertise the event.

3. Curate a Contest

On your blog, website and social media sites, let your customers know that you’re hosting a contest. Ask patrons to photograph themselves at your restaurant and then cultivate votes among their followers—the picture that gains the most votes is the winner! Prizes might include a free entree or dessert during their next visit, a coupon for a percentage off their entire party’s ticket, or another special offering unique to your restaurant.

4. Create an Instagram Menu

Choose a hashtag for your restaurant that people can upload their entree pictures to on Instagram. This practice serves to market your business, creates a fun atmosphere online and in your restaurant, and encourages people to engage with your business. Include the hashtag at the bottom of your real-life menu so guests know where to upload their photos.

What’s in it for You?

Upload photos from your mobile device.
Check in with your followers.
Gain access to 30 million daily Instagram users.
Get noticed by customers on a local level through integrated social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.

For more tips on how to bolster restaurant marketing, visit SternoCandleLamp.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Posted in Marketing, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What Do Brides Want? 5 Wedding Catering Trends for 2013

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

Sure, brides want linens and flowers to match their wedding colors, but what about the food?

If you want to deliver unforgettable wedding receptions to your clients, become familiar with the top wedding catering trends of 2013. After all, the reception is all about the food! Here are five wedding catering trends you should incorporate as often as possible.

Play with Color

Sure, brides want linens and flowers to match their wedding colors, but what about the food? If your clients don’t think of it themselves, make sure you mention this wedding catering trend when they attend taste-testings. Playing with color doesn’t mean dying the mashed potatoes green; it means incorporating foods that naturally blend in with the color scheme.

Build Your Own

Encourage the bride to let guests customize their meal or dessert. Popular wedding catering trends include a taco bar, baked potato buffet, lettuce wrap station, build-your-own bruschetta, ice cream sandwich bar and S’more station. If you choose to offer any type of buffet, make sure you have the proper chafing fuel and dishes to keep food hot. Butane stoves are particularly useful for outdoor receptions and roasting marshmallows at a beach/Luau themed reception; just make sure you have a butane torch to light it.

Anything-on-a-Stick

Fruit kabobs, skewered cheesecake, pies-on-a-stick—the possibilities are seemingly endless! Not only is this wedding catering trend cute and whimsical, it’s functional, too. Guests can easily mix and mingle while eating their desserts with one hand.

Breakfast

Even if your reception isn’t in the morning or afternoon, a breakfast-themed reception remains a viable option. Consider a build-your-own-biscuit bar, a pancake or waffle station, mini quiches, donuts, and any other breakfast favorites you want to include. This wedding catering trend is both delicious and easy to put together.

All Things Mini

Bite-size finger foods are a popular choice that allows guests to try a number of things. Think shrunken comfort foods such as fried mac-and-cheese balls, sliders (beef, chicken, pork), or tiny grilled cheese sandwiches, along with mini desserts such as cream puffs, tiny cookies, cheesecake bites, and piña colada shots.

With so many ideas, all you need are the right tools to make these trends come to life on your client’s big day. Visit our website to see which products match the wedding catering trends of 2013, then create the perfect wedding reception for your client!

Posted in Butane, Catering, SternoCandleLamp, Weddings | Tagged 5 Wedding Catering Trends for 2013, butane stove, butane torch, chafing fuel | 1 Comment

Getting The Mood Just Right…Using Flameless Candles In Your Nightclub

Posted on March 26, 2013 by admin

Flameless candles provide just the right amount of light, creating a warm glow without the fire.

As you strive to create the perfect ambiance in your nightclub, have you considered the possibility of using flameless candles? The rechargeable option is particularly pertinent to commercial situations. Here’s a look at four major benefits of using rechargeable flameless candles in your nightclub.

No Fire

Flameless candles provide just the right amount of light, creating a warm glow without the fire. A wind gust or passersby cannot blow them out, and there’s no worry of splattering wax if the candles topple over.

Great for Indoor and Outdoor Use

If a portion of your nightclub extends outside for patrons to enjoy great weather in the summer, the best flameless candles can be waiting outside to greet them. Even in rain or wind, these candles continually provide their flickering glow.

They’re Convenient…

With wax candles, there’s no other option than to light each candle one by one. However, rechargeable flameless candles come with a remote control so you can turn every candle on and off simultaneously with the touch of a button. Rechargeable flameless candles are the perfect solution for allowing a quick nightclub setup, and it eliminates the need to blow candles out one by one at the end of a long night.

… And Cost-Effective, Too

When compared with both wax candles and standard flameless candles that are used for several hours and then discarded, rechargeable flameless candles are a greener, more cost-effective option. After the initial investment, you can use the candles again and again thanks to the space-saving recharging station. These flameless candles last up to 18 hours on a single charge without dimming as they near the end of their battery life. There’s even an optional theft-deterrent system to deter patrons from acting on the impulse to take one or two candles home with them.

Visit our website to see how our various flameless candles can help provide the perfect night club experience for your patrons.

Posted in Ambiance, flameless candles, Nightclubs, SternoCandleLamp, Tabletop Lighting | Tagged best flameless candles, flameless candles, rechargeable flameless candles, Using Flameless Candles In Your Nightclub | Leave a comment