How to Choose Napkins for Your Restaurant or Café: Ply, Size and Fold

A napkin says a lot about a place. Sit down to dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant and you won’t find a small, thin single-ply napkin next to your plate. That kind of napkin belongs in quick-service spots, where guests drop in for a fast bite.

At LENEK, a paper napkin manufacturer based in Latvia, we’ve seen how our regular customers choose their napkins. Here’s what we’ve learned, plus our recommendations for different types of venues and events.

Our napkin sizes

• 24 × 24 cm (12 × 12 cm folded) The smaller size is the go-to for quick service. It’s the most affordable option, and you’ll want to stock up, because these go fast. Available in 1, 2 and 3 ply, in packs of 50 to 400.
• 33 × 33 cm (16.5 × 16.5 cm folded) The 33 cm size is made for a more relaxed pace: lunch or dinner, cafés and restaurants, events or celebrations at home. It also comes in 1, 2 and 3 ply, and in several fold options (more on those below).

Ply: one, two or three?

Ply is all about how soft and sturdy a napkin feels, and how often your guests will need to reach for another one.

• 1-ply - thin and economical. Perfect where guests grab a napkin, wipe their hands and go: street food, takeaway coffee, food courts, canteens. Put them in a napkin holder or dispenser and let guests take what they need.
• 2-ply - the sweet spot. Softer, holds its shape when folded, and doesn’t fall apart at the first touch of sauce. Most cafés, bistros and pizzerias go for this one.
• 3-ply - for places where every guest gets their own napkin as part of the table setting. It’s thick, soft to the touch and looks almost like linen. A favourite of restaurants, banquet halls and wedding planners.

A simple rule of thumb: the longer your guests stay at the table, the more ply their napkin should have.

Folds: the first thing your guests see

The fold is what guests notice first, even before they open the menu.

• 1/4 fold (square) - the classic and most popular fold. Stand them in a napkin holder or lay one beside each plate: easy for guests to pick up, easy for staff to store. Available in every size, in 1, 2 and 3 ply.
• 1/8 fold (rectangle) - a 2-ply 33 × 33 cm napkin folded into a slim 16.5 × 8.25 cm strip. It sits neatly under cutlery or wraps around a knife and fork, which is why you’ll see it so often in restaurants and at banquets. Available in packs of 250 for venues and 30 for smaller events or parties at home.
• 1/12 fold (narrow strip) - a 1-ply 33 × 33 cm napkin folded into an extra-slim 16.5 × 5.5 cm strip. Ideal for festivals, markets and street food: lots of food, very little space, and a compact napkin that fits on any counter or tray. Comes in packs of 1,200, so you won’t run out any time soon.
• Dispenser napkins - made for high-traffic venues: cafés, food courts, coffee shops, canteens. Guests pull out exactly one napkin at a time, nothing blows across the table, and you’ll go through noticeably fewer. We offer two formats:
  • 24 × 21 cm, 1/6 fold (12 × 9 cm folded), 1-ply, 125 per pack;
  • 32.5 × 32 cm, 1/8 fold (16.25 × 9 cm folded), 1-ply, 250 per pack.

Which napkin is right for your venue?

• Fast food, street food, takeaway coffee - 24 × 24 cm, 1-ply, in a napkin holder, or dispenser napkins. Price and volume are what matter here.
• Festivals and markets - 33 × 33 cm, 1-ply, 1/12 fold. Compact and cost-effective.
• Cafés and bistros - 24 × 24 or 33 × 33 cm, 2-ply. In a napkin holder or one per guest with the main course.
• Restaurants - 33 × 33 cm, 3-ply beside each plate, or 2-ply in a 1/8 fold under the cutlery.
• Banquets, weddings, corporate events - 33 × 33 cm, 3-ply, in a colour that matches the décor or custom-printed with a logo, the couple’s names or the date.
• Parties at home - 33 × 33 cm, 3-ply in packs of 50, or 2-ply in a 1/8 fold in packs of 30. At home, the napkin is part of the décor, so don’t be shy with colour or print.

Colour matters too

All our napkins come in 19 colours, from white and soft pastels to deep burgundy and black. A coloured napkin can tie in with your interior or the season: dark red for an autumn menu, green for a summer terrace. Our light beige and light brown napkins are made from 100% recycled paper, in case sustainability matters to your business. And a napkin with your logo works as a little ad your guests hold in their hands all evening.

Not sure where to start?

LENEK makes around 100 types of napkins from 100% cellulose, as well as napkins from recycled material. Get in touch, tell us about your venue, and we’ll help you pick the right size, ply and colour for your service. Want napkins with your own logo? We can print orders from just 50 pieces.