Choosing the Right Tables and Chairs for Your Restaurant

Buying a proper restaurant furniture is an important part of design process. The right tables and chairs are able to significantly improve the flow of a restaurant. The wrong furniture can make your establishment feel cold and unwelcoming.

Restaurant furniture comes in a huge variety of styles, materials and price ranges. See some of the most important factors to consider when buying tables and chairs for your establishment below.

Commercial Grade Furniture

When shopping for restaurant chairs and tables, it’s important to make sure that you’re buying commercial grade furniture. Residential quality furniture will simply not be able to withstand this type of heavy use.

If you decide to purchase metal restaurant tables, consider going with a fully welded option if possible.

Along with durability, commercial furniture will also come with a suitable warranty. A warranty on a residential chair may not accept a claim if the chair was used in a commercial setting. Why? Because that was not the intended purpose of the chair.

Keep Up With The Style

One of the most important things to consider when buying restaurant tables and chairs is your environment or theme. The furniture you choose should go with the athmosphere of your restaurant.

If you’re running a casual coffee shop and café, you may have a mix of cozy booths, couches and lounge chairs. If your plan is to open a speakeasy-style restaurant, you may have tufted velvet or vinyl booths with wooden chairs.

If the furniture feels out of place, it may ruin your entire concept. Remember that every aspect of your restaurant’s design should reflect your brand message.

Dimensions are Essential

For standard restaurant chairs, the seat height should be 18” tall for proper use with dining tables, which have a standard height of 30.” As for the width, you should aim for a minimum of 16”. Fine dining restaurants tend to have wider seats for maximum comfort and durability.

It’s also important to choose a restaurant dining table that offers ample leg room. Ideally, there should be 10–12" of space between the seat of the chair and the underside of the table. If your chairs have armrests, make sure there’s at least six inches of space between the armrest and the underside of the table.

What about a high table with stools? Look for bar stools with seat heights of 30" and counter stools with seat heights of 24.” Bar or pub tables should be 42” high to work with standard high top table chairs.

With high top seating, you want the same amount of space for each person — 24.” The same rules apply for legroom. There should be 10–12" of space between the seat and the underside of the bar or high table.

Most restaurant tables and chair sets will come in the standard sizes and heights listed above.

Time Of Stay Is Also Important

It’s important to consider how long your guests will stay. If you run a fast-casual restaurant, most diners will probably stick around for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stiffer wooden restaurant chairs may be a good choice for a quick turnover.

If you run a fine dining restaurant and expect guests to spend a few hours at a table, plush upholstered seating may be the best option to keep diners as comfortable as possible.

Care and Maintenance

If you run a casual restaurant, look for materials that are easy to clean and maintain, such as anodized aluminum or powder-coated steel. For high-end, fine dining establishments, it may be worth the extra care and attention to have high-maintenance furnishings.

Keep in mind that your staff will have to be properly trained on how to care for the furniture. If the maintenance process is too complicated, mistakes will be made, and your furniture will suffer unnecessary damage.

Source: https://mcdonaldpaper.com/blog/restaurant-furniture-buying-guide-tables-and-chairs