Napkins, Towels, and Paper Products: Choosing the Right Quality for Your Restaurant
Master the art of selecting paper products that balance cost efficiency with customer satisfaction. Small differences add up to big savings.
Why Paper Products Matter
Napkins and paper products are often treated as afterthoughts in restaurant planning, but they're high-volume, high-frequency purchases that directly impact both customer experience and your bottom line.
Consider: A restaurant serving 200 customers per day uses approximately 600 napkins daily (3 per customer average). At just $0.02 per napkin, that's $12/day or $4,380/year. Switch to a $0.03 napkin and you've added $2,190 in annual costs. Conversely, choose a $0.015 napkin and save $1,095 annually.
The key is finding the sweet spot where quality meets economy—good enough to satisfy customers without overpaying for features they don't value.
Types of Napkins: Understanding Your Options
Beverage Napkins (Cocktail Napkins)
Specifications:
- Size: Typically 5" × 5" (quarter-fold results in 2.5" × 2.5")
- Ply: 1-ply or 2-ply
- Material: Virgin or recycled paper
- Colors: White, black, kraft, or custom colors
Best for:
- Bars and cocktail service
- Coffee shops and cafes
- Light snacks and appetizers
- Beverage service in any setting
Cost range:
$0.01-0.03 per napkin depending on ply count and quality
Lunch/Dinner Napkins
Specifications:
- Size: 6.5" × 6.5" to 7" × 7" (larger than beverage napkins)
- Ply: 1-ply or 2-ply
- Fold: Quarter-fold most common
- Texture: Smooth or embossed for premium feel
Best for:
- Full-service restaurants
- Takeout and delivery orders
- Fast-casual dining
- Any meal service beyond beverages
Cost range:
$0.015-0.04 per napkin
Dispenser Napkins
Specifications:
- Fold types: Interfold (pop-up), tall-fold, or low-fold
- Sizes: Various, typically 6.5" × 8.5" to 7" × 13.5"
- Dispensing: One-at-a-time pull from counter dispensers
- Ply: 1-ply most common (cost efficiency)
Best for:
- Quick-service restaurants (QSR)
- Food courts and cafeterias
- Self-service condiment stations
- High-traffic areas
Advantages:
- Reduces waste (customers take only what they need)
- More sanitary (one-at-a-time dispensing)
- Cleaner presentation than stacks
- Cost-effective for high-volume operations
Cost range:
$0.01-0.025 per napkin
Understanding Ply Count
"Ply" refers to the number of layers. More plies generally mean more absorbency, strength, and perceived quality—but also higher cost.
1-Ply Napkins
Characteristics:
- Single layer of paper
- Thin and economical
- Less absorbent than 2-ply
- Can feel cheap if quality is too low
Best for:
- High-volume, cost-conscious operations
- Dispenser napkins (where volume matters more than luxury)
- Light-duty use (beverages, light snacks)
Cost savings: Typically 30-50% cheaper than equivalent 2-ply
2-Ply Napkins
Characteristics:
- Two layers bonded together
- More absorbent and stronger
- Feels more substantial and premium
- Better for messy foods
Best for:
- Full-service restaurants wanting quality feel
- Messy foods (BBQ, wings, burgers)
- Premium positioning
- Customer-facing table service
Quality perception: Customers perceive 2-ply as higher quality, which can support premium pricing for your meals
Making the Decision
Rule of thumb: Use 2-ply for customer-facing table service where quality matters. Use 1-ply for self-service dispensers where quantity and cost efficiency matter more.
Paper Towels for Kitchen Use
Unlike napkins, paper towels are back-of-house supplies where absorbency and strength matter more than appearance.
Multi-Fold Towels
Characteristics:
- C-fold, Z-fold, or M-fold
- Dispensed one at a time from wall-mounted dispensers
- Typical size: 9.5" × 13" (varies)
- Used in restrooms and hand-washing stations
Best for:
- Employee hand-washing stations
- Public restrooms
- Hand-drying throughout facility
Roll Towels (Hardwound or Center-Pull)
Characteristics:
- Continuous roll in dispenser
- Hardwound (pull from outside) or center-pull
- Larger capacity = less frequent refilling
- Cost-effective for high-volume use
Best for:
- Kitchen prep areas
- Cleaning and spill cleanup
- High-traffic restrooms
Selecting Kitchen Paper Towels
Key factors:
- Absorbency: More important than softness for kitchen use
- Strength (wet and dry): Needs to hold up when wet
- Ply count: 1-ply for economy, 2-ply for better performance
- Roll size: Larger rolls = fewer change-outs
- Dispenser compatibility: Ensure towels fit your dispensers
Don't skimp on kitchen towels: Cheap towels that tear or fail to absorb end up costing more because staff use multiple sheets. Mid-grade quality usually offers best value.
Other Essential Paper Products
Toilet Paper
- Standard rolls: For home-style dispensers
- Jumbo rolls: High-capacity for commercial restrooms
- Ply count: 1-ply for economy, 2-ply for comfort
- Sheet count: Higher count = fewer change-outs
Customer-facing restrooms: Use at least 2-ply. Employee restrooms can use 1-ply if budget is tight.
Butcher Paper / Basket Liners
- Lines baskets and trays for casual dining presentation
- Wraps sandwiches, subs, and deli items
- Available in white, kraft, or custom printed
- Comes in sheets or rolls
Popular with: BBQ joints, burger restaurants, sandwich shops, food trucks
Parchment Paper
- Non-stick surface for baking
- Grease-resistant for food wrapping
- Heat-resistant
- Can be custom printed for branding
Uses: Lining baking sheets, wrapping sandwiches, lining baskets, separating baked goods
Custom Printed Napkins: Brand Building
Custom printed napkins are an affordable branding opportunity. Every customer touches your napkin multiple times during a meal—it's a marketing touchpoint.
Benefits of custom printing:
- Reinforces brand identity at every table
- Professional appearance
- Can include website, social media, promotions
- Relatively low cost compared to other marketing
What to print:
- Logo and restaurant name
- Website or Instagram handle
- Tagline or mission statement
- QR code for menu, reviews, or loyalty program
Cost considerations:
- Setup fees typically $50-200 (one-time)
- Minimum orders usually 5,000-10,000 napkins
- Cost premium: ~$0.01-0.02 per napkin over generic
- Single-color printing is most economical
Cost Management Strategies
1. Calculate True Cost Per Use
Don't just look at case price. Calculate cost per napkin and estimate monthly usage to understand true impact.
Example calculation:
- 200 customers per day × 3 napkins each = 600 napkins daily
- 600 × 30 days = 18,000 napkins monthly
- Option A: $0.02 per napkin = $360/month
- Option B: $0.03 per napkin = $540/month
- Annual difference: $2,160
2. Buy in Bulk
Paper products have long shelf life. Buying in case quantities (or pallet quantities for large operations) saves 15-30%.
3. Use Dispensers to Reduce Waste
Customers take 2-3× more napkins from a stack than from a one-at-a-time dispenser. Dispensers reduce waste significantly.
4. Match Quality to Use Case
- Premium: Table service napkins (2-ply, nice texture)
- Mid-grade: Takeout napkins, casual dining (1-ply or 2-ply)
- Economy: Dispenser napkins for self-service (1-ply)
5. Train Staff on Portion Control
Staff handing out 10 napkins per order wastes money. Train them to include 2-3 napkins and let customers request more if needed.
Sustainability Considerations
Eco-friendly paper product options:
- Recycled content: Made from post-consumer waste, reduces virgin tree use
- Unbleached/kraft: Natural brown color, less chemical processing
- FSC-certified: Sourced from responsibly managed forests
- Compostable: Breaks down in composting facilities
- Bamboo/alternative fibers: Rapidly renewable resources
Cost impact: Eco-friendly options typically cost 10-20% more, but many customers value sustainability and it can differentiate your brand.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying cheapest option for customer-facing items: Thin, rough napkins create negative perception of your restaurant
- Over-provisioning napkins: Don't hand out excessive napkins—it's wasteful and expensive
- Not using dispensers: Stacks of napkins lead to customers taking handfuls unnecessarily
- Mixing sizes inappropriately: Tiny beverage napkins for messy meals frustrate customers
- Running out: Always maintain adequate stock—emergency orders cost more
- Ignoring storage conditions: Paper products absorb moisture and deteriorate if stored improperly
- Not tracking usage: Monitor consumption to identify waste and optimize ordering
Ready to Optimize Your Paper Product Costs?
Browse our complete selection of napkins, paper towels, and paper products. Wholesale pricing with bulk discounts available.
The Bottom Line
Napkins and paper products are high-volume purchases where small differences in unit cost create significant annual impact. The key is matching quality level to use case—premium for customer-facing items, economy for back-of-house.
Calculate true monthly costs, buy in bulk, use dispensers to reduce waste, and work with wholesale suppliers to maximize value. Don't sacrifice quality on customer-facing items, but don't overpay for features customers don't value.
Paper products might seem mundane, but smart purchasing decisions in this category can save thousands annually while maintaining or improving customer satisfaction.