How should you shop for commercial restaurant furniture? Many customers search online for tables, chairs, bars and outdoor furniture. They look to see if the items match their décor, the other furniture pieces, and the style of their bar or restaurant. Good choices for your bar should reflect your personal style. However, there are many more issues to consider when purchasing commercial restaurant furniture. This article covers some areas where the assistance of an experienced representative at a reputable commercial restaurant furniture supplier can be invaluable.
Is the restaurant furniture commercial grade?
Some restaurant and bar owners may consider purchasing retail instead of commercial grade furniture. Restaurant furniture specifically manufactured for commercial use is a much better option. This is one of the key areas where the advice of a commercial restaurant furniture representative will be invaluable.
The biggest reason to purchase commercial restaurant barstools, chairs and tables is their durability. Bar and restaurant furniture will see much more use then retail furniture, which is made for much lighter residential use. Commercial restaurant furniture should last much longer than non-commercial furniture. Many restaurant owners who initially purchase retail furniture are replacing it with commercial furniture within a year. In some cases, the initial cost for commercial furniture is not significantly higher than for the retail furniture anyway.
Another reason to buy commercial furniture is liability. Most commercial restaurant furniture comes with a warranty on liability. That means if you purchase non-commercial furniture without a warranty and someone is injured when a chair or barstool breaks, the restaurant could be liable for damages for that injury.
An additional consideration when purchasing commercial is the design of the individual commercial chairs, tables or barstools. For instance, some retail chair styles are much taller than the commercial chair styles. These chairs then “hide” the restaurant tables, which makes it looks like there are too many chairs.
Does the furniture fit my layout?
Customers appreciate good ambiance in a restaurant, but more importantly, they analyze where they sit. This includes not only the comfort of the chair but also the size of the restaurant table top. Subconciously, customers ask themselves questions when they are at your restauarant. Is there enough room for all the plates and other table top items? How close are the other people sitting to me? Can I get in and out my seat easily?
Consider this scenario — a group of six comes in your establishment and you only have one table for four. Wouldn’t it be great if you had one or two tables that could be flipped to seat up to six people. An experienced commercial furniture representative probably would have suggested this in your initial layout, design and commercial furniture purchase. It’s a great idea to involve your commercial furniture representative in the design phase. It’s easier to design the furniture for the space, than to try to appropriately fit furniture you’ve already purchased into your space. A good commercial furniture representative will be able to assist you with maximizing the use of your space, while ensuring the comfort of your customers.
Can the commercial restaurant furniture supplier meet my timeline?
Many customers considering opening a new tavern or restaurant aren’t experienced in purchasing commercial furniture. When a business owner plans a new restaurant or bar, there are hundreds of decisions and tasks to accomplish before opening. Purchasing restaurant furniture may be far down on the list.
A lot of commercial restaurant furniture is custom manufactured. This gives customers a wide variety of materials, colors and styles to choose from to match their individual themes. Some restaurant tables, chairs and barstools are normally warehoused and in-stock, but the vast majority is manufactured when purchased, and can have anywhere from a four to twelve week lead time. If you are dealing with a good commercial furniture representative, one of their first questions will be when you need your restaurant furniture.
Will the commercial restaurant furniture supplier work within my budget?
Most experienced commercial restaurant furniture suppliers work with a variety of individual buyers every day. They realize that each individual buyer has their own unique budget, and that this is one of the buyer’s primary concerns. There are many price levels of furniture options in commercial furniture. At Missouri Table & Chair, our goal is to provide the customer with the most durable restaurant chairs and tables at the lowest price to match each customer’s specific budget and needs.
Missouri Table & Chair specializes in commercial restaurant furniture manufacture and sales. MTC has been in business providing quality commercial furniture since 1978.