Paper napkins for restaurants: the 2025 guide
The napkin is one of the key products in the budget of a restaurant, caterer or any food professional organizing receptions.
Beyond budget considerations, it's also about image and service in terms of napkin wiping that restaurateurs must offer their customers. For over 45 years, Vousert has offered a wide range of paper napkins and assists you in choosing and purchasing your tableware collection.
The format of the professional paper napkin
The format, or size, of a professional paper napkin is a starting point to determine based on its intended use and purpose. Thus, depending on its dimensions, the napkin can be used in a specific context.
• 20x20cm , the "cocktail" size. The advantage of these small professional napkins? They take up very little space on the table, which has earned them a strong reputation among catering professionals. Furthermore, the various colors available add an aesthetic touch to presentations and buffets. In addition, their cost remains low considering the service they provide.
• 30x30cm (or 29x29cm) , the most common size. Used in a wider range of situations than the cocktail napkin format, the professional paper napkin, measuring 30 centimeters by 30 centimeters when unfolded, is often found at meals, brunches, or tastings. Its strength, along with a higher number of pleats (2 to 3), allows for a greater variety of uses. This single-ply format is often the choice of school or self-service restaurants for cost reasons.
• 30x40cm (or 29x39cm) is an intermediate format offering a larger wiping surface than a 30x30 and is often available in only 2 thicknesses and with a wide range of colors in wadding quality.
• 40x40cm (39x39cm or 38x38cm for embossed point-to-point ranges like Celiouate), the largest size. These dimensions can accommodate a wide variety of folds, including the so-called "kangaroo" cutlery pocket, for storing cutlery. The professional paper napkin, when unfolded, reaches 40 centimeters by 40 centimeters, offering greater comfort to the customer. This is often the size of premium napkins made of Dunilin or Dunsioft, non-woven napkins, but also historically made of 2 or 3-ply wadding with a wide range of colors . Establishments where it is regularly used include brasseries and restaurants.
The thickness and number of plies matter
Paper napkins are distinguished by a strength proportional to their thickness, and therefore to the number of plies they have. This thickness implies a specific use, allowing them to be used to their full potential at buffets, business meals, or dinners in brasseries.
• 1-ply: This type of professional paper napkin is the least expensive. Generally, a single-ply napkin is used for occasions requiring little absorbency. It is often found wrapped around sandwiches, accompanying ice cream, or in takeaway food.
• 2-ply: Professional two-ply paper napkins are generally held together by a mechanical embossing applied to the edges of the napkin, which prevents them from separating. This type of napkin is commonly used for meals, picnics, buffets, or cocktail parties.
• 3-ply. A 3-ply napkin offers significant strength. Therefore, anyone using one professionally can dry their fingers without fear of tearing it. It is made using the same method as a 2-ply napkin, with machine embossing applied to the edges. Three-ply professional napkins are commonly used at buffets, birthday parties, children's snacks, and lunches.
The different materials of paper napkins
When it comes to professional paper napkins, several manufacturing processes exist, improving the feel or production methods. This is a criterion that can influence the purchase depending on the values and image of the company being sought, or the intended use.
Paper towel or rather cotton wool
What we call a paper napkin is actually made from cellulose wadding .
Cellulose wadding can be recycled (from waste paper, for example) or pure wadding (derived from plants). Napkins made from pure wadding are made from freshly cut wood pulp, while napkins made from recycled wadding are made from recycled paper .
Pure cotton pads may be softer and more absorbent , but they also have a more negative environmental impact due to the deforestation required to produce the wood pulp. Recycled cotton pads are more environmentally friendly because they reuse previously used paper, reducing waste and conserving natural resources. However, they may be less soft and less absorbent due to the quality of the recycled paper used.
Cgmp wadding towels benefit from the origin France label and are Ecolabel certified.
Towel dispenser or provision
When it comes to equipping your establishment, whether it's a restaurant, a cafeteria, a fast-food outlet, a hotel, or a public space, the choice of dispensing or distribution system will vary and will determine consumption and therefore the cost of use. The choice of dispensing method generates costs and waste, which are now major issues in the effective management of food service out of the home.
Why choose paper napkins for dispensers?
Paper napkin dispensers offer numerous advantages for restaurants wishing to provide a hygienic and convenient service to their customers.
Paper towels, when dispensed from a dispenser, offer better hygiene than reusable cloth towels or paper towels placed directly on a table or work surface. Each customer has access to a clean towel that hasn't been touched by others, thus reducing the risk of contamination. This system uses the same "sheet-by-sheet" dispensing mechanism as paper towel dispensers.
The dispenser option allows for quick and easy distribution, saving customers from having to handle a handful of napkins . This contributes to a more pleasant and seamless customer experience while also projecting a more professional image for your restaurant.
Compared to stacked paper napkins, disposable paper napkins dispensed via a dispenser system guarantee savings of up to 30% on volume. The dispenser allows for better control of consumption, thus reducing waste and the volume of garbage . This is also an environmental benefit that will give your establishment a responsible image.
FSC - PEFC - OK Compost Home and Industrial certifications - Nordik Swan...
Undeniably, the use of professional paper towels can raise concerns about their environmental impact , both in terms of the resources required during production and their final destination. Therefore, it's possible to select products with FSC or PEFC certifications, Ecolabel, or OK Compost Home certification, such as Dunisoft Bio towels from Duni, to ensure compliance with certain standards. OK Compost Home certification guarantees compatibility with your home composter, while OK Compost Industrial certification requires composting in an industrial facility.
PEFC certification applies to wood sourced from Europe and identifies the forestry certifications used in the production of the paper towel. The FSC label, on the other hand, applies to exotic woods . Both certifications, issued by independent organizations, ensure that a balance has been achieved in terms of environmental, economic, and social equity during the harvesting of the wood used for paper production.
Natural white towel without optical brighteners
Made without optical brighteners, this wadding is 100% natural. Optical brighteners are often used to achieve a white appearance in wadding. Recommended for anyone (and others) who appreciates the natural look as a sign of quality. Voussert offers a range ofwhite paper napkins from 30x30 cm single-ply to 50x50 cm at some of the lowest prices on the market. Please contact us for annual volume contracts.
Paper napkin (wadding) pure color pulp and dyed throughout
Soft to the touch and particularly absorbent, the wadding is guaranteed biodegradable.
Because it is made entirely from pure cellulose pulp. All the countless colors are dyed throughout. It has the Ecolabel.
The shade determines the price and generally pastel coloured towels are cheaper than bright coloured towels regardless of the manufacturer.
Celi paper napkin, plus the embossing
Celi wadding is a technology developed by CGMP, now known as Manufacture de l'éphémère, and is commonly referred to as point-to-point embossing. Thanks to this micro-embossing technology, Celi wadding napkins are more durable than traditional wadding.
The thicker napkin offers maximum comfort, and its fine weave lends an airy elegance. This type of manufacturing has been widely adopted by manufacturers in Italy, Spain, and even Asia. Some qualities remain quite good at competitive prices, but one must remain vigilant regarding the dyes used and the chemical processes employed during production, particularly during the paper de-inking stage.
Personalized napkins
We can customize all these materials, from cocktail napkins to large format napkins, in one or more colors.
Feel free to contact us.
The best brands and references
Several brands are considered benchmarks in the world of professional paper napkins used in the food service and institutional sectors. However, three clearly stand out for their strong offerings in this area, combining sustainability and innovation.
• Tork belongs to the Essity group . This affiliation allows it to offer some of the most sustainable solutions for the production of professional paper towels. With each new product, Tork is committed to innovating and improving the user experience to remain a global leader in its field.
The former CGMP, now Manufacture de l'éphémère , produces professional paper napkins for all uses. It offers a wide variety of thicknesses and sizes, facilitating supply for a large number of establishments. The company stands out for its almost unparalleled longevity in this sector, having been active since 1954.
Duni primarily produces napkins using non-woven materials such as Dunilin and Bio Dunisoft, which emphasizes eco-responsibility through OK Compost Home and Industrial certifications , as well as classic airlaid for standard ranges. Duni represents the high end of paper and non-woven napkins in the professional sector, and is the preferred choice of caterers and event planners.