Restaurant Furniture Blog

There is so much variety in a restaurant tables design these days. Solid timber finishes include oak and beech wood or you could go for the hard wearing granite tops. The question is, though, with such elegant finishes, do you dare to go bare?

I am surprised sometimes to see very elegant table tops covered by table cloths. Why hide that finish? I can understand a restaurant owner wanting to protect those table tops. They are not cheap and some of the softer woods can mar easily. However, there are other options.

The first, and most obvious option is to plan ahead. If you are going to use table clothes, do you really need an expensive finish to your table tops? Probably not, so save your dollars early on and buy more practical table tops that need to be covered.

Table cloths have one disadvantage to them - they need to be laundered. That includes stain removal and pressing. The last thing you want is a table cloth that is stained, or full of creases.

If you like the elegance of some of the restaurant tables designs that are available then consider options like place mats instead of table cloths. Your table is on show for the world to see, but the area likely to become marked is covered.

You don’t think place mats would suit your restaurant’s image? Check out what is available first. You would be surprised at the type of place mats that are available, some looking more like miniature table cloths than place mats.

Of course, you could make the ultimate sacrifice and go completely bare. The danger in taking that route is the damage the table top may receive over time. Eventually you may have to resort to table cloths to hide the marks and stains - either that or have the tops resurfaced.

With so many natural timbers available in today’s restaurant tables design, you can really target your restaurant table top to fit your decor. If you do - don’t hide it. Dare to be different, dare to be bare.