When you are planning to open your new restaurant, you have to make several critical initial decisions. From the menu to ambiance, from restaurant furniture to target customer base, from the type of restaurant to pricing of your dishes, these initial decisions can either make or break your restaurant. Some budding restaurant owners fail to capitalize on the potential of furniture for the growth of their business. Therefore, focus on selecting the best and right restaurant furniture staring with your early days of planning.
How do you go about selecting the right furniture for your restaurant? Which factors should you consider before finalizing your restaurant furniture purchase? How is buying the right restaurant furniture cost effective in the long run? Read on to get the answers to all these questions and much more.
1. Select Furniture that fits Your Restaurant Style and Decor:
When you conceptualize your restaurant, you decide on a particular theme or atmosphere that you wish to create. Whether you go for a contemporary or a modern style, you must get the furniture that fits the selected ambiance. Rather than considering it a separate entity, think of furniture as an extension of the restaurant’s ambiance. From the upholstery on your restaurant chair to the tabletop, everything must be in sync with the interior of your restaurant. This approach helps you in enhancing the overall visual appeal and keeps the ambiance intriguing for your customers. Consider the following aspects while choosing your restaurant furniture
i) Space Constraint:
Restaurant businesses, like any other business, thrive on maximizing profits. Therefore, you must select furniture that not only matches the ambiance, but it also optimizes the seating space available in the dining area. For example, vintage restaurant tables and chairs might look antique and exquisite, but may take more space than other styles. If you don’t have sufficient space, consider sleek and elegant modern furniture instead.
ii) Color Psychology:
Noticed how many restaurant owners primarily use some specific colors of furniture? Well, color has a significant impact on the appetite and psyche of your customers. For example, the blue color is known to be appetite depressant, brown and black colors have a warm and inviting appeal for your customers. Similarly, red and yellow stimulate appetite, and you can use these colors along with neutral colors like white or grey while selecting your restaurant tabletops.
iii) Comfort:
Since a restaurant belongs to the service industry, the comfort of your guests is important. As a host, you would want your guests to be comfortable and relaxed during their meals. From the business point of view as well, the longer a customer stays in your restaurant, the more he is likely to order drinks or desserts, and higher will be your sales and profits. For instance, cushioned restaurant booths are more comfortable than wooden benches or chairs. If you are unsure, you can select a winning combination of mixed seating options and let your guests decide for themselves.
iv) Dining Experience:
From the taste of food to the promptness of service, the overall dining experience at your restaurant is a culmination of several factors; restaurant furniture is one of them. Therefore you must select restaurant furniture that blends with the atmosphere you wish to create and enhances the dining experience. For example, if yours is a fine-dining restaurant, the quality of furniture and upholstery should reflect that. Similarly, if you want to create an intimate setting, you can consider booth seating or partitions between the restaurant tables.
2. Invest in Proper Restaurant Furniture
At the onset, investing in commercial-grade restaurant furniture might appear unnecessary. However, by investing in quality furniture, you can avoid the time and money of having to replace them too soon. Visually appealing quality furniture looks good and makes a good impression on your guests. Naturally, by investing in the right furniture, you can increase the number of regular customers, which, in turn, results in more profit.
3. Buy Durable and Easy to Maintain Material
When you are finalizing your restaurant furniture, it might be tempting to select wood frame chairs with intricate carvings and artworks. While such designs look extravagant and pleasing to the eye, they are more work to clean. Rather, select furniture with simple designs that are easy to clean and maintain. By opting for such styles, you can save on cleaning time significantly. Similarly, when it comes to selecting the fabric material for cushions, etc., go for materials that do not get stained easily. Additionally, before finalizing a fabric, consider how it will age with time and moisture, especially if you are considering outdoor seating arrangements.
In a typical restaurant, you may have to move the furniture quite often to rearrange them to suit different occasions. Therefore, they must be extremely mobile and durable. If this is the case, consider choosing more lightweight table top options. And check with your vendor to ensure you buy the right base to match the table top’s weight.
Conclusion:
Starting and running a restaurant business is no simple task. As a restaurant owner, you have to make difficult decisions right from the planning stage until your restaurant is up and running. As you might have understood by now, selecting the right restaurant furniture is crucial for its success. The perfect furniture must be pleasing to your eyes as well as pocket. Additionally, it should be comfortable for your guests and easy to clean for your staff.
This article discusses some critical elements to consider while choosing the best furniture for your restaurant. Hopefully, by taking note of the points mentioned in this article, you will be able to select the perfect furniture that matches the style and interior of your restaurant. As you can see, investing in the right furniture can prove to be cost-effective a few years down the line. More importantly, by using these tips, you can select your restaurant’s furniture according to the expectations of your guests for the best dining experience and profitable business.
