Restaurant furniture

Restaurant furniture

Fine dining at a restaurant is not just about good food. The decor and ambience are also crucial. One important aspect that makes up this ambience is the furniture. This article aims to provide a few guidelines in this regard. However, before going into the nitty-gritty details, you need to make a budget and a list of what exactly you are looking for.

The location: Indoors or Outdoors

Selecting furniture that will be located outside the restaurant doors needs extra thought, as it should be able to withstand climatic conditions as well as manmade pollution (such as from passing vehicles).

For indoor patrons you can install furniture that does not have to be constantly shifted around, such as booth seating. If you are planning to put in seating arrangements outside, you can put in cluster seating that is fixed. This type comprises of a table with the chair heads attached directly to the table frame. An executive looking for a single seat or a group of four friends can seek out such tables under the sky or a patio umbrella. You can even order the chair heads, tabletops and frames separately to enable you to mix and match.

For days of roaring business, it is a good idea to have one or two portable benches installed outside the restaurant. Here, waiting patrons can wait their turn to dine indoors or to bag a table outside. These benches should be of a sturdy metal frame, preferably with backs.

Seating Furniture

Comfort is the first on the priority list of restaurant seating furniture. As mentioned earlier, it is common to have booth seating in an indoor restaurant. The longish seats are usually joined back-to-back. You can even get freestanding single booth seating or curved booth seating for an awkward corner. You need not go over the budget with seats made from fancy materials. Wooden booth seating made from oak is an equally good option.

If you are planning to put in independent chairs, make sure they are stable ones. A good idea is to get chairs that can be stacked. You can even buy comfortable upholstered folding chairs with padded backs.

For Kids

Dining out is quite often a family outing, so you need to give importance to toddlers, too. Taking care of the need of these fussy youngsters will do great things to your business! What you require are special booster seats that have high sides and a wide base. You can even buy one with straps for greater safety, as toddlers tend to be fidgety.

Bar Stools

A well stocked bar attracts more footfalls across the threshold, so you need good quality bar stools. The really sturdy ones have steel frames and rings to rest the feet on. A ball-bearing swivel enables the patron to turn around easily. The vinyl seat provides soft seating comfort and is easy to clean. In the event of a tipsy patron spilling wine on the seat, keep a few vinyl covers handy. Simply slip on the cover over the stained seat and the next patron to sit on it will not know its sad state! Of course, dont forget to later have the seat reupholstered!

The Tables

The tables are where your patrons are ecstatically enjoying the food. So you need sensible tables that do not allow the soup tureen to wobble or the platter of chicken noodles to slide over the edge. In short, you require sturdy and properly balanced tables. You can select tables that have a special locking mechanism for the legs to ensure that it does not shift. Tables come in a wide variety of materials, such as oak, mahogany or cherry. Steel tables will be more expensive. The tabletops can be the laminated type or vinyl types. Lightweight plywood tables are a good option for outdoor dining. Ensure that the tables do not have any sharp edges and are chip resistant.

This article has only provided information for the main dining area of a restaurant. There are many more aspects: the reception area, furniture for storage, for the kitchen, etc. Browse through furniture-related magazines or enter the portals of the World Wide Web for a more comprehensive view of restaurant furniture.

Handy Tips

SAFETY FIRST! Check closely every piece of the furniture you select for your restaurant. Ask for an immediate replacement if you have the slightest doubt that its features are unsafe for your patrons.

Make sure you get furniture of the correct dimensions! Check out the space measurements in the spots where you will place the furniture, and then order.

You will probably be asked to pay half the total cost as deposit, and the remaining amount prior to shipment.

Ask about discounts for items bought in large quantities.

Ask about maintenance tips for the furniture, specially upholstered ones.

Find out if there is a warranty for the frames.

Check if you can purchase a replacement seat, say for a bar stool, and use the existing frame.

The warranty does not usually cover normal wear and tear or improper installation.

Ask about extended warranties that are provided for certain products.

If you suddenly decide to cancel or change your order, you will likely have to pay a hefty service charge. So let your first choice be the right choice!

In the unfortunate event that your furniture arrives in a damaged condition, immediately note it on the delivery receipt. Inform the manufacturer right away to claim a refund.

If you are placing a new order for the same type of furniture as previous products, you may not get the exact type due to possible non-availability of that same material.

Do remember to buy from a creditworthy source!

To sum up, you should select furniture that:

Is pleasing to the eye

Can easily be maintained

Is long-lasting

Is covered by a good warranty

All the Best for your restaurant business. May plenty of footfalls cross the threshold!