While designing and planning your dining space can be one of the most rewarding parts of owning a restaurant, it is not without challenges. There are a multitude of important decisions to make and within every decision, there are many factors to consider. When it comes to choosing the right commercial furniture for your restaurant or business, the chairs have to be chosen with care based on many factors, including style, cost, and size. Another detail not to be overlooked is chair weight accommodations.
When considering the elements associated with chair weight accommodations, it is best to bear in mind what type of material was used to construct the chair. While plastic chairs tend to be more affordable, they have lower weight capacities in general. A metal frame chair especially cast iron compared to aluminum, will withstand heavier guests but may not be able to handle repeated weight strains for many years. The best bet for handling larger chair weight accommodations is the much-heralded wood. Wood tends to offer sturdiness built to last. Even with a sturdy chair, it is best to check with the manufacturer for specific weight capacity guidelines.
Choosing chairs with higher chair weight accommodations for customers may mean adjusting your original design plan in order to better seat and serve your customers. While many chairs are the same size just with different capacities, they are slightly heavier in most models. This extra weight may make it harder for staff to rearrange the floor plans when seating needs to arise. Another consideration when thinking about weight capacity is to regularly check the chairs to ensure they are in proper condition. You should routinely check the hardware connecting the parts of the chair, including screws, nuts, and bolts. Any loose parts should be promptly tightened and any damaged, or missing parts replaced immediately. If you do not have the parts available, the chair should be removed from the floorplan until suitable replacement parts are available.
Chair weight limits are often misunderstood. The regulating force that issues weight capacities for commercial chairs, BIFMA, carefully tests the chairs using applied force.
According to BIFMA:
• There are guidelines for weight capacity, and they are not set in stone because chairs undergo different stressors in different settings.
• Chair weight limits are not a one-time application of force limit. For example, if a chair has a weight limit of 350 pounds, a guest of more than that weight can sit in the chair without necessarily breaking the chair.
• Chair weight capacities being taken into consideration can help extend the life of the chair.
Finding the right commercial furniture can be a time-consuming endeavor. With the right information and thoughtful consideration, you can easily find the chairs that are best for your business and your valued customers!
