4 Key Considerations When Choosing Restaurant Patio Furniture

For restaurant owners, it is very important to choose the right type of furniture for their patio, as it will greatly affect their guests’ experience. In a popular blog post last year, Missouri Table & Chair covered four of the most important considerations to keep in mind when making this decision. However, there are even more out-of-the-box ideas and tips that restaurants should consider before making a purchase.

1. Comfort

Restaurants should never overlook comfort. After all, restaurant owners want patrons to actually enjoy sitting on the patio at their restaurant! If the chairs are uncomfortable, customers won’t stay long or won’t come back. Restaurants should choose patio chairs that are designed for sitting for longer than just a few minutes. A couple of helpful, often forgotten tips are to look for furniture that doesn’t get too hot in the sun, and to select table and chair pairings that offer plenty of room for patrons’ legs.

2. Typical Party Size

Restaurant owners should consider a restaurant’s typical party size when choosing outdoor restaurant furniture. For example, is a dining establishment regularly used for romantic, one-on-one dinner dates, or is it a place where people tend to hold large birthday parties? Restaurants should select more small, two-top restaurant granite tables if they cater to the dinner date crowd, or choose to buy long picnic tables with benches attached if parties are a regular occurrence. Selecting patio furniture based upon clientele will ensure any dining establishment can comfortably accommodate as many guests as possible.

3. Security or Storage Requirements

A restaurant’s location or routines may have an impact on the restaurant patio furniture they choose. Restaurants should consider whether their business is located in a safe area where there’s no risk in leaving furniture outside overnight or in a busier urban area where there’s a chance that furniture might be stolen. For places that need to bring patio furniture inside or store it every night, owners should consider purchasing lighter restaurant tables and chairs that can be lifted easily to move into storage.

4. Maintenance

Patio furniture, especially restaurant table tops, can take a beating because of their exposure to the elements. Restaurant owners should choose furniture based on the maintenance routine they plan to implement. It takes a little more time and energy to keep wood furniture looking clean and fresh, while stainless steel furniture is easily wiped down with water and cleaning solution. It is important to consider how much time a staff will be able to devote to upkeep.