Restaurant Furniture Blog

If you’re looking for restaurant furniture because you’re running a cafe, chances are good that you’ve come across some literature about the third place. In a lot of cases, this can be applied to bars and lounges as well, but in case you’re going to be running a fine dining establishment let’s take a look at the concept.

The “third place” refers to the spot where people spend the majority of their time other than at their homes and offices. It’s a place where business people go to grab a cup of coffee and linger over the paper - and have some time to review documents or prepare notes for a meeting. It’s the place where those who have a home office go to conduct business meetings. It’s a place where meetings can happen without the high anxiety of the office.

Those of you who are looking for restaurant furniture for a dining room might be thinking something like “But wouldn’t that mean they could stay all day?” And that makes sense, because the third place isn’t going to be a restaurant where turning over tables is key and the focus is on the food. The answer though, is yes, it does encourage people to stay - and to keep coming back up to the counter to grab another coffee, a pastry, a cup of soup throughout the day.

Cafe and lounge owners who like the idea of creating a third place aren’t going to be looking for tables and chairs exclusively; they are also going to find themselves looking for plush lounge chairs that can fit into a cozy corner or they are going to be looking for a sofa where customers can sit and relax and talk.

The right furniture is key: when you’re creating a third place, you want to ensure that your customers are as comfortable if they are staying for a few hours as they would be if they were popping in for a few minutes. That’s something you can do bu working with someone who can help you to choose the right lounge furniture and the right tables and chairs so that you get the balance right.