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Quick Tips on How to Select Chairs & Tables for a New Restaurant

Clearly, the idea of opening a new restaurant is an exciting endeavor, and likely, a daunting task.

Aside from designing a delicious menu for your customers, it's equally exciting and challenging

to select quality and attractive chairs and tables for your new restaurant. With this in mind, here

are some actionable tips to consider when you're deciding how to find the best restaurant

furniture for your new restaurant.

There's a lot of planning that goes into opening your own restaurant, and one of the most

important tasks is the purchase of the right restaurant furniture. The overall decor of your

restaurant and the food you serve will influence the furnishings, and its expected ambiance.

Designing a Restaurant Seating Plan

Before you purchase tables and chairs, you should design a simple seating chart. By creating a

simple chart, it will help you decide and adjust how to select the correct size for your tables and

chairs, while maximizing your overall square footage for servicing your customers. More than

likely, you want to select tables that could be join together to assist in seating large parties. Plus,

you may also include booths in addition to tables in your seating plan because you'll want to

offer different seating preferences.

Editor's Note: SeatingExpert.com, a New Jersey furniture manufacturer, offers quality

customizable restaurant furniture in a variety of finishes and upholsteries. If you don't have time

to create a seating chart for your new restaurant, use our free restaurant seating guide.

However, if you need further assistance on designing a layout, SeatingExpert.com is available to

help you select the right furniture and design a basic layout for you.

Choosing Finishes and Upholstery

Generally, restaurant furniture is available in many materials such as steel, wood, wrought iron,

and plastic to name a few. Regardless of the finish or upholstery you choose, each furniture

must serve a specific purpose for the restaurant and accommodate the restaurant's customer

base.

For example, if you're opening a restaurant that is inside a trendy business-style hotel, you may

want to consider using stainless steel tables and chairs because it offers a sturdy and industrial

look, while the sleek surface is also very easy to clean and resistance to bacterial contamination.

For family-style restaurants, wooden furniture is ideal because it's very durable while the

natural wood tone radiates a warm, and inviting atmosphere.

For BBQ-style restaurants or fine dining establishments with outdoor seating, wrought iron

furniture is perfect because these furniture can withstand all weather conditions. Moreover, you

don't ha ve sacrifice style because these wrought iron chairs and tables are easy to maintain and

available in a wide variety of styles from traditional to contemporary.

Chrome and shiny furniture goes well in modern upscale eateries; however, this furniture

should be avoided in restaurants that have a lot of lighting. The lights will reflect off the

furniture, and it can be very distracting to both guests and servers.

Do You Need Small or Large Tables?

If your restaurant appeals to couples who are going out on dates or celebrating their

anniversaries, then small tables will likely be sufficient because they create an intimate

atmosphere. Larger tables are needed in restaurants that attract large groups, such as families.

Sports bars also need large tables because guests often come in with their friends to watch

sporting events being televised.

Choosing Restaurant Tabletops

Once you choose the material that you want your tables to be constructed out of, it's then time

to decide what shape you prefer for them to be. In family restaurants, tabletops with pointy

edges should be avoided. Booths will likely be rectangular, so make sure that the edges are

curved. If you're going for a classy look, marble round tables are amazing, but they are very

expensive. If you choose wrought iron tables, you might find that you want to cover them in

tablecloths, however, this is completely up to you.

Choosing Restaurant Chairs

Generally, restaurant chairs are made out of the same material that the tables are made of. Tall

bar chairs will of course go at the bar, while average-size chairs will sit at your tables. No matter

the design of chairs that you choose, it is of the utmost importance that they be sturdy and

made of durable material. Chairs will receive the most wear and tear out of all the furniture in

your restaurant. Do keep in mind that the chairs need to be somewhat lightweight because you

will want to stack them or set them on your tabletops each night to clean the floors.

The Takeaway

Deciding on the right chairs and tables for your restaurant is not a decision to be made swiftly.

You should carefully assess how much traffic your restaurant will receive as well as the

ambiance that you are striving to create.