Restaurant Chairs

Restaurant Chairs: Choosing the Right Commercial Chairs

Providing the best possible experience for customers is the main goal of any restaurant owner. The food is important, of course, but so is the seating. When furnishing your venue, it is important to choose chairs that both fit in your décor style, and offer a comfortable and memorable seating experience for customers.

Creating the desired look for your restaurant or bar has never been easier. Whether you want to furnish a high-end steakhouse with our upholstered bucket chairs, or a trendy bistro with tolix style seating, you’ll enjoy the quality, convenience, and exceptional customer service that makes us the ideal place to purchase restaurant chairs on-line.

Providing the best possible experience for customers is the main goal of any restaurant owner. The food is important, of course, but so is the seating. When furnishing your venue, it is important to choose chairs that both fit in your décor style, and offer a comfortable and memorable seating experience for customers.

Chairs are arguably the most important furniture pieces in any restaurant. A customer’s experience with uncomfortable or inappropriate seating will deter them from returning, causing businesses to lose money and creating a negative reputation for their restaurant.

The vast array of choices in style, design, and function may be daunting at first but we hope to clear up any confusion and provide enough information for every restaurant owner to choose the chairs that best suit their venue.

4 Tips for Choosing the Best Restaurant Chairs

1. Decide on Your Décor Theme and Stick With it

It takes time and planning to capture the décor theme you are looking for, and the chairs and other furniture need to be carefully selected to ensure your restaurant’s brand is properly represented. For example, if you are furnishing a high-end dining space, you would want to choose traditional wood or upholstered chairs, and the rest of the space needs to match that choice. Solid wood tables would best compliment the chairs in this case, providing a cohesive design that is appealing to customers.

For more relaxed or fast-casual dining venues, or for family-oriented spaces, a variety of metal and wood options exist, but it is important to consider maintenance and upkeep. If you plan for a high turn-over, you would want to choose chairs and accompanying furniture that is easy to clean and simple to maintain. For high-traffic venues, ordering the most durable and strong chairs is in order. You would not want to choose a delicate, ornately designed chair for this type of space.

2. Make Sure Your Commercial Seating Fits in Your A vailable Space

To ensure the furniture you wish to order is a fit for your space, it is advisable to draw up a seating plan to understand what will and won’t fit in your venue. An option available is to hire a restaurant interior designer to assist in coming up with a comprehensive seating plan unique to your individual spatial requirements. This is a good option, if possible, as a designer will understand how to space your furniture to meet ADA guidelines, fire safety, and customer comfort requirements. If a designer is out of your price range, ensure that enough space exists between tables for the seating to properly fit in compliance to local and federal law.

3. Ordering Commercial vs Residential-Grade Chairs

It may be tempting to save a buck by ordering cheaper chairs and tables. However, there is a big difference between less expensive residential-grade chairs and their commercial-grade counterparts. Simply put, residential chairs, while less expensive, aren’t built for high-traffic use. Ordering this type of furniture is asking for trouble, and the furniture will need to be replaced much sooner.

In contrast, commercial-grade chairs are specifically designed for restaurant use. The inclusion of heavy-duty construction, fully welded metal frames, and mortise and tenon joinery on our wood chairs ensures that these pieces will withstand constant use and abuse by customers. Commercial-grade chairs also often come with a warranty, where residential chairs may leave you with little recourse if they are damaged or break.

4. Choose Your Materials Wisely

The material your chair is made of is a very important consideration when choosing restaurant chairs. Wood chairs can offer a classic and warm feel, with their traditional look and aesthetic appeal. However, if you are running a busy restaurant and chair legs are hitting against the other furniture, the damage to wood chairs is easily noticeable and harder to fix.

For high-traffic venues, metal chairs are a much more practical choice. They can take abuse without denting or scratching, thanks to the powder coating applied to the frames during construction. These chairs are a staple in busy bars, restaurants, and bistros or cafes, which see high-traffic and turn-over.

The upholstery of your choice of chair will also be dictated by the type of restaurant you run. For high-end and fine dining, premium fabric upholstery is a good choice. However, you would not want fabric seats in faster-paced venues, as you would want a material that is easily cleaned, stain-resistant, and durable enough to handle a large volume of customers, like vinyl. Solid wood seats are another possible choice, as they are relatively easy to maintain, although arguably less comfortable than vinyl or fabric upholstery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Will Commercial-Grade Restaurant Chairs Last?

Commercial-grade restaurant chairs have a life-span between 5-7 years. It all depends on how they’re used. However, for carefully treated chairs, or chairs known in the industry to be exceedingly durable, the lifespan could extend to 12 years.

What Makes a Chair Commercial-Grade?

Commercial-grade chairs are designed to withstand the wear and tear of heavy everyday use. Constructed with quality as a priority, these chairs are usually built with fully welded metal frames, or tongue and groove joinery for wood chairs. Simply put, commercial chairs are built to last in high-traffic areas for years.

Does My Commercial-Grade Chair Come With a Warranty?

Our range of commercial chairs offers the most extensive warranties in the industry. The warranty period may vary on certain products. Contact our sales department for specific warranty information for the chairs you wish to order.

How Comfortable are Restaurant Chairs?

Simply put, it depends. All of our chairs are built for comfort to one level or another, although our upholstered options are the best choice for user comfort. Offered with plush padding, these chairs are designed for extended periods of seating without discomfort. Chairs without padding, like those with wood or metal seats, are designed primarily for use in venues where there is higher turnover and there is no expectation of prolonged seating. In essence, comfort level is relative, and varying degrees of user comfort are expected in various commercial venues.

Can I See Examples of Your Chairs in Restaurant Settings?

We offer 2 options for viewing our chairs in their natural environment. The first is our galleries. Located at the bottom of each product page are galleries showcasing restaurants with that product. This will allow you to see other venues’ design choices and how our products look in their venues. In addition, we showcase a variety of restaurant installations, featuring an in-depth exploration of specific restaurants and how our furniture plays a role in their success.