Dazzling Disposable Tableware
Rivka Halpern's Gifts to Dazzle offers eye-catching tableware for Shabbat, Jewish holidays and other special occasions.
Chana Shapiro is an educator, writer, editor and illustrator whose work has appeared in journals, newspapers and magazines. She is a regular contributor to the AJT.
Gifts to Dazzle is a new source of high-quality disposable tableware, known for attention to individual customer taste and personality. Owner Rivka Halpern runs her boutique business out of her home in Toco Hills, and ever since the personalized shopping experience opened in the summer of 2021, it has gained a following of hosts and hostesses who want to set a chic, eye-catching table for Shabbat, Jewish holidays and other special occasions.
Halpern, who has a background in sales, decided to work for herself by opening a home-based business. Being able to set her own schedule allows her to spend more time with her children and meet clients at mutually convenient times.
“I decided to start this business because I want to share my passion for beautiful things for the home that are unique, particularly things that are practical,” Halpern said. “I want to help people set one-of-a-kind tables, and at the same time give them less stress with freedom from having to wash dishes after the meal. My husband and I love hosting, especially on Shabbat, and with the disposable tableware I carry, it’s much easier for us to have a lot of guests now!”
The ample inventory of tabletop items at Gifts to Dazzle enables even last-minute shoppers to walk away with everything they need to create an outstanding table setting, and many customers purchase distinctive items to coordinate with their own dishes and flatware. “I love to help people choose things that will create a special look, or I may make suggestions of color combinations,” Halpern says.
“It’s fun to mix things up. I have a lot of color options, as well as the classic neutrals. And I enjoy working with people who bring me pictures of their homes and dishes in order to pick something that will enliven or compliment their own table settings. My paper goods, which can effectively change the look of the set table, are very popular.”
One of the big draws is the extensive inventory of hard-to-find tablecloths that Halpern claims are easier to purchase in large cities like New York and Lakewood, N.J. “You cannot get things like the cloths I carry in big box stores, or even online,” she says. “They are distinctive items, like all the quality paper and plastic goods I carry. People find that my onsite stock is large enough to quickly manage most sizeable orders.”
Halpern offers discounts for large orders and anticipates being busiest during Purim, Pesach and the High Holy Days season. Gifts to Dazzle carries disposable plates of several sizes, flatware, glasses, tablecloths, napkins, napkin rings and disposable and non-disposable chargers. All tablecloths are washable, and some of them are spill-resistant.
In addition to tablecloths, Halpern has swatches for dozens of fabrics from various suppliers, as well as swatches for vinyl tablecloths. She can custom order any of the tablecloths in any size, and she recently made a custom tablecloth for a customer who has a large, unusually shaped one-of-a-kind table. She stocks popular sizes but welcomes special requests, with matching and coordinating napkins that can be ordered as well. For custom tablecloths, Halpern tries for a 2-3-week turnaround, “However, with the global shipping and materials crisis, I cannot guarantee any timeline,” she says.
Halpern continually expands her merchandise. She stocks classic items and, at the same time, closely follows trends to accommodate the needs and interests of her customers, many of whom have large families and who frequently welcome numerous guests to their Shabbat tables. “I recently brought in acrylic wine glasses that are white with gold trim, which are all the rage up north; beautiful chargers are on their way, and in response to multiple requests for reusable plastic tablecloth protector covers, I just received a shipment.”
Now, Halpern wants to create more opportunities to showcase her goods. “I have done some pop-up sales, and would love to do more,” she says. “If you think you or your friends would enjoy looking at my products and would like to host a Gifts to Dazzle pop-up event, please reach out! The host will receive a percentage of the proceeds.”
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