Restaurant napkin service is a relatively simple concept at first glance, but it can actually play a huge role in the satisfaction of your customers when they come to eat at your restaurant.  

After all, when people have decided on a restaurant to check out, they will likely be hungry and anticipating a positive experience. Your customers will likely expect to find several clean, neatly folded napkins on their table. The last thing they want is to find dirty, unfolded napkins, or worse, end up having to call over a waitress of waiter just to get some napkins.  

However, there is much more you can do to brighten a customer’s day and guarantee that they’ll stay in your restaurant again. First US Linen understands how a unique approach to restaurant napkin service can transform how customers feel about your restaurant.  

We’re here today to share some napkin folding tips that will seriously impress your customers and quickly improve your restaurant’s reputation. 

Basic Napkin Folding Tips 

All customers at your restaurant deserve a neatly folded napkin at the very least. Most restaurants do a simple fold with silverware wrapped up inside the napkin. To fold a napkin properly, you will want to: 

• Begin by spreading your napkin flat to form a diamond shape.  

• Position the knife in the middle of the napkin, allowing the tip to extend about half an inch beyond the point of the napkin.  

• Place the fork and spoon on top of the knife, ensuring they are stacked neatly with all the handles aligned. 

• Next, fold the bottom corner over the ends of the silverware, then fold the far corner over as well.  

• Finally, roll the napkin up so that the silverware is nearly completely concealed by the napkin. 

Fancy Napkin Folding Tricks for Premium Restaurant Napkin Service 

There are countless fun ways in which you can fold your napkins to leave a lasting impression on your customers and make them feel welcome in your restaurant.  

Going the extra mile to fold your napkins in creative shapes and designs not only showcases the skills of your amazing staff, but it also develops your brand and helps it stand out from the crowd. Along with having clean, soft, and fresh-smelling napkins and tablecloths, this is a powerful way to impress anyone who eats in your establishment. 

First US Linen will give you some creative ideas for reinventing napkin folding to cultivate a warm, inviting atmosphere that will leave a positive impact on customers. Here are just a few: 

How to Fold a Pyramid Napkin 

• Place a napkin down flat in front of you and fold it in half diagonally. 

• Rotate the napkin so that the open end faces away from you. 

• Fold the right end up so it meets the far corner. Do the same on the left side to make a diamond shape with a seam in the center. 

• Turn the napkin over while keeping the open end facing away from you. 

• Fold the napkin in half by taking the farthest point of the diamond and bringing it up to meet the nearest point. 

• Next, flip the napkin over, ensuring that the open end is facing you. 

• Now, fold the napkin along the center seam, and you’ll have a tidy, strong pyramid. 

How to Fold a Rosebud Napkin 

• Place a napkin down flat in front of you and fold it in half diagonally. 

• Position the napkin so that the open end faces away from you. 

• Fold the far-right corner diagonally upwards until the tip touches the top of the far corner. The edge of this new flap should align perfectly with the center line. 

• Do the same on the opposite side to create a diamond shape. 

• Turn the napkin so that the open end faces away from you. 

• Fold the bottom part of the napkin up, approximately three-quarters of the way. 

• Flip the napkin over. Curl both sides up so that they meet in the middle and tuck into each other. 

• Stand the napkin and straighten it out for a beautiful rosebud napkin! 

How to Fold a Goblet Fan Napkin 

• Place a napkin down flat in front of you. 

• Fold it in half and position the open end towards you. Then, fold the napkin into quarters. 

• Fold the napkin in half to create a crease, then unfold it.  

• Next, perform an accordion fold on the napkin, making sure the center crease aligns with one of the accordion folds.  

• Gently hold one end of the fan and bend it over by about an inch, letting the other end unfold. 

• Insert the folded end of the napkin into a drink glass and fan it out. You now have an elegant goblet fan napkin! 

Contact First US Linen Services Today 

Restaurant napkin service doesn’t have to be a time-consuming, painstaking chore. There are many ways to give your customers the ultimate dining experience with the napkin folding tips and tricks listed above.  

Putting in some extra effort with napkin folding can brighten a customer’s day, add a personal touch to their restaurant experience, and even convince them to leave you a tip or positive online review.  

Want to learn more about how First US Linen Services can transform your restaurant napkin service with personal branding, high-quality materials, and premium customer service? Contact us today to see how we can help you.