Restaurant Furniture Blog

People choose to eat out at restaurants for a variety of reasons. Some don’t want to bother with the cooking and cleanup at home, some are looking to “treat” themselves with a night out and some just want a quick bit on their way to wherever they’re going. Regardless of why someone chooses to eat at a restaurant, the food is the main attraction. However, restaurant furniture and ambiance can help or hinder the overall dining experience almost as much as the menu. So let your menu and furniture work together to keep patrons happy, comfortable and full.

Think about the kind of food you serve. Do burgers and fries call for high-backed chairs and white linen table cloths? Would someone want to eat filet mignon on a rough wooden patio table? Your menu ties directly into the expectation of the diner for what your restaurant should look like. Do the two match each other?

If you use heavy ceramic plates to serve meals, maybe a glass tabletop isn’t the best choice. Glass can transfer heat, leading to discomfort for your patrons. Glass can also break if the table gets bumped or something gets dropped on it. Is your restaurant filled with hustle and bustle where that is a legitimate concern? While glass is easy to clean, it also gets dirty just as fast. Maybe a sports bar isn’t the best place for a glass tabletop.

If you own a family friendly restaurant, chances are you’ve got more than a fair share of spills and stains. Maybe vinyl covered furniture is a better choice in the long run than elegantly upholstered booths. You have to think both practically and artistically about your restaurant furniture. It has to last, since new furniture doesn’t come cheap, but it also has to heighten the overall dining experience.

Today, bar furniture is lot more than a three legged stool and wobbly table top stained with glass rings. One of the biggest trends in restaurants has been the development of the bar area. What used to be a glorified waiting area for patrons waiting for a table to open up has turned into a dining floor in its own right.

However, the bar area is still the favored place for patrons looking to just grab a drink with friends, catch the game or have a quick meal, so you have to make sure your bar furniture lives up to their expectations as well as those looking for a more sit-down environment. Your bar furniture needs to meet the needs of all your guests and stand the test of time.

Cherry wood barstools are a great choice and way to compromise between value and style. Whether finished with gloss or left untouched, this wood grows darker in color over time, giving a healthy glow to the bar stool. They can be designed to incorporate elegant patterns and flourishes, yet still fit well in a casual environment.

While glass tabletops are a great way to protect the wood surface beneath, they get smudged and look dirty very easily. Since the bar area usually have a quicker turnover compares to the dining area, you might not have time to wipe down the table before a new patron sits down. Bar tables are best left to solid, strong and durable wood.

The days of rickety metal bar stools that squeak and threaten to collapse under a patron are over. Even humble cafes and hole-in-the-wall bars understand the importance of their bar furniture. Bar furniture is often a second thought for most restaurant owners when they are choosing their furniture. Most of the restaurant’s income is going to come through the dining room, not the bar, so it makes sense that they’d focus more on the dining area. But more and more patrons are choosing to wine AND dine at the bar, so your bar furniture needs to measure up. The best place to start is with the bar stools.

A bar stool can be just as comfortable, well-made and well-designed as any dining room chair. More and more bars are opting for wooden bar stools, or hybrid bar stools (metal and wood) to create a more inviting atmosphere and comfortable bar area.

Plain metal bar stools often look cheap and uncomfortable. But if your heart is set on a metal barstool, why not opt for a retro chrome barstool? The chrome barstool has a striking appearance and also provides comfort for your patrons.

Bar stools aren’t just limited to the bar, either! Smaller cafes and restaurants are incorporating bar-height tables into their dining area, which require a tall barstool for diners. These bar tables are especially popular for outdoor patios or open-window seating. These bar tables provide your guests with a casual dining experience, but still giving them the space and comfort of a sit-down dinner.

One of the few absolute rules of marketing, regardless of industry, is that it costs more to get a new customer than it does to keep a current one. Return customers are the life blood of any business, but it is especially true for the restaurant industry. Happy customers will not only willingly re-choose your restaurant; they will also recommend it to friends and keep you in mind when going out for large group dinners for business or with family.

Of course to food is going to play a big role in why patrons keep coming back, but there is something to be said for the “atmosphere” of a place. People go out to eat because they don’t want to/don’t have the time to cook at home. So part of taking care of your regulars is creating an atmosphere where they feel like they are at home, without the hassle of preparing dinner or dealing with the cleanup. The environment needs to be welcoming. For some patrons this means a plush couch where they can read a paper in peace. For others it’s a bar where the bartender knows exactly how they like their drink.

If you recognize one of your patrons as a regular, why not show them your gratitude for their continued business? If the same guy has been coming in to your restaurant every morning for coffee and eggs for the last two years, why not slip him a piece of pie on the house one of these days? A little thank you goes a long way and makes the regular feel like you appreciate them. Or you can always make sure their favorite seat is open and waiting when they come in for their daily lunch run. It doesn’t have to be a sweeping gesture to make a regular that much more attached to your restaurant.

The atmosphere of your restaurant is almost as important as the food. Great food deserves a great place to be showcased in and very few patrons are willing to deal with uncomfortable, cramped or dingy dining spaces no matter how good the food is. Don’t forget that the design of your restaurant is the first thing a potential sees when they stroll by, and it has a strong effect on their decision to eat there.

The way a restaurant looks typically influences the kind of food and the service it sells. Pubs serve pub food. Beach shacks sell the daily catch brought up by their own boats. What does your scene say about your food? You may be serving classic French cuisine, but the restaurant furniture and décor would indicate to an unknowing patron that you’re a burger joint. Perception is everything.

If your restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, why not create a matching environment with warm toned walls, stained glass lamps and a beautiful outdoor patio. Eating should be a sense-encompassing experience. It’s not just about the food, the mood counts. Décor and furniture directly affect the atmosphere of a restaurant.

Over-stuffed armchairs belong in a café-type eatery, not an upscale seafood restaurant. The disjoint can be confusing for patrons and may discourage them from walking through the front door. If your menu says one thing, but the décor says another, how do they know what to expect? Customers want to walk into a restaurant knowing that the steak dinner they want is the steak dinner they are going to get. Don’t let the wrong atmosphere lead them astray.

There is more to choosing the right table for your restaurant than picking out a shape and material. Square and wooden? Round and metallic? Don’t forget that the finish of your table is just as important as the table itself! The finish can impact the overall ambiance of the restaurant, both positively and negatively.

Glass finish tabletops were popular for a while because they were easy to clean. Just grab a bottle of Windex and a rag and you’re good too go. Glass tabletops also protect the wood beneath from scratches and damage. But glass tabletops can get a dirty just as quickly as they get clean. Any waiter or patron who accidentally touches the glass is going to leave their fingerprints behind. You also run the risk of a glass tabletop breaking or getting extremely hot from the plates.

A natural wood finish is the most common finish choice for restaurant furniture, as it allows the beauty of that natural wood to show through. This means that the wood can easily work with any other décor, even if it changes. Wood finishes are also fairly easy to keep clean and maintain.

You can also choose a laminate for your tables, although this is typically used in more casual restaurants like diners and cafes. Those types of restaurants often incorporate booth style seating, which, when coupled with a laminated table, offers a much more informal and relaxed atmosphere.

You might think that throwing a tablecloth over your table is enough, because patrons won’t be able to see what’s underneath. But a good finish is going to protect you tables from damage and minimize the wear and tear over time. It’s a worthwhile investment to protect your furniture with an appropriate finish.

No one likes to be bumping elbows with the table next door while trying to enjoy their dinner. That’s why left handed eaters almost always get placed at the head of the table. But when your floor space is limited, tables can get a little uncomfortably close to accommodate more diners. In order to maximize the number of tables you can arrange, and keep your diners comfortable, all it takes to a little creative rearranging.

Most restaurants organize their tables so diners are sitting back to back with other tables. This creates a walkway between tables for servers and guests. But to get in and out of a chair easily, there needs to be several feet of open space to maneuver in. This is a huge waste of floor space. So restaurants will push the tables closer together. Now patrons have to squeeze and twist to get into their chairs. Neither scenario—wasted space or cramped diners—is a good one.

An easy fix is to turn your tables diagonally! Turn the tables 45 degrees and align them with the corners of the room instead of the front wall. This keeps diners from sitting back-to-back, making it easier for them to get in and out of their chairs. It also cuts down on the amount of space between each table, say from 6 feet to 4 feet. You might even be able to fit an extra table in each row with the added floor space.

It’s all about arranging your tables to fit the shape and size of your restaurant. Large dining areas don’t have to worry about saving an extra foot here and there like a small café does. Don’t try to force more tables in than you can.

Obviously the food is the star of any restaurant. Whether you own a James Beard Award winning seafood restaurant in Manhattan, or the local pizza joint that’s the pride and joy of your hometown, the food is what keeps patrons coming back. But the vibe and feel of a restaurant plays into the overall experience of dining out. And what your customers sit on while they eat plays directly into that experience.

Fine dining and upscale bistros generally go after an expensive, but elegant look. Traditional hardwood chairs are the perfect style for these types of restaurants. Hardwood chairs are durable, yet very classic in design and taste. They can be custom designed with intricate patterns and detailing or focus on simple, clean lines- whatever you are looking for.

More urban feeling eateries, the types with exposed brick walls and utilitarian lighting fixtures, are the perfect place to incorporate stainless steel chairs or dark wood finish chairs with metal accents. The chair selection should add to the industrial vibe. A plush armchair detracts from that feeling; they are more at home in a coffee shop nook. But a detailed metal bench can add to the contemporary design. All the pieces have to work together to create a fluid experience.

Some restaurant styles dictate very specific chair designs. You wouldn’t expect to see patio furniture pulled up to an inside bar. And 50’s style diners demand 50’s style booths. When there is a disconnect between the food and design, it sends mixed messages to the patron. What are they supposed to be experiencing? Is it the décor that doesn’t match the food, or does the food not fit with the décor?

When people come to a restaurant (with maybe the exception of a fast-food chain), they usually expect to stay awhile. Maybe they are celebrating a special occasion; maybe they just didn’t feel like cooking at home that night. Whatever the reason, most patrons want to make the most of their restaurant experience. There is something special about eating out. The wait staff is there to make them comfortable, the food is cooked to their specifications. It’s all about them! And it all boils down to being made to feel comfortable and at ease.

At a restaurant, diners don’t have to deal with the prep, cooking or cleanup of their meals. All that goes on behind closed doors. All they see is the finished product. That means they get to relax and enjoy being out with their tablemates. The waiter brings drinks, appetizers and refills when needed, so they don’t have to worry about it. It all is centered on making the guest feel taken care of and relaxed.

But you can’t make a guest relax if they aren’t comfortable in their chair.

We spend much of our day sitting; in desk chairs, cars, public transportation, couches and recliners, so we know a comfy chair when we see one. Your restaurant’s chairs have to be physically comfortable to sit in, so as to not detract from the rest of the evening.

This doesn’t mean you need to run out and replace all your chairs with cushy armchairs. But when was the last time you actually sat in one of your chairs for a long time? Do the old ones squeak or wobble? Is the wood chipping and splintering? Is the booth’s upholstery frayed or ripped? Comfort starts with quality. Chairs that are in good condition are going to be more comfortable than those that threaten to break apart beneath a diner.

The age old question asked in restaurants everywhere, “Would you like a table or booth?” Customers often choose booths because they are perceived as more comfortable (look Mom, I can lie down!), intimate (like their own private dining room) and spacious (I’ll just take this whole side here).

If your restaurant is in need of design pick-me-up, but you don’t have the money or time for a complete renovation, why not give your trusty booths a style update and bring a whole new feel into the dining room?

It’s easy to coordinate the color of you booth with design accents you’re looking to highlight. Instead of the traditional dark brown or black, while not opt for a jazzy red or elegant white upholstery/vinyl covering? Color also feeds into the mood. If you run a small bistro pick a booth with a wood finish for a classic, European vibe. If you cater to families, vibrant colors bring energy and visual appeal to the dining room.

Optimize your floor space by incorporating different booth styles into the mix. Instead of the usual wall benches, invest in a round booth or replace your smaller tables with single-seat booths.

It’s also possible to customize your booths to meet your exact requirements and design needs. Change not only the color, but the overall height, piping options, booth shape and more. Have fun as design something that is unique to your restaurant. Designing an eye catching booth style can elevate your restaurant to the next level.