For linen suppliers, the business outlook for 2020 looks bright—especially for those that can provide innovative products and services that help restaurateurs meet the shifting demands of consumers. Those laundries that enhance the competitiveness of restaurants, catering or other food and beverage (F&B) outlets are well positioned to share in the growth of the restaurant industry.

Those were the key takeaways we got from interviews with several operators and textile supplier executives contacted for this month’s year-end review of the linen-supply market. Highlights of those discussions follow.

For starters, let’s consider the tablecloth market, which operators have relied on for ...