Tips for Maintaining Restaurant Furniture

Beyond representing a large investment, furnishings say a lot about a restaurant’s character. The relative condition of those furnishings also has an impact on how customers are likely to respond to the dining experience. Although a number of factors impact overall satisfaction, recent studies suggest that cleanliness and agreeable décor are both important considerations diners use to make judgments about safety, good value and the likelihood of becoming repeat customers.

Maintaining furnishings like restaurant tables, chairs, booths, stools and benches in good order should be part of a long term strategy of front of the house quality control. These suggestions will help.

Inspecting Restaurant Furniture

Schedule furniture inspections periodically with specific written tasks:

• Make sure tables and chairs are stable and assemblies like chair swivels and glides are oiled and working properly.

• Check chair legs to make sure joints and stretchers are secure and any screws are tight by pressing two hands on the seat of the chair or barstool to see if it wobbles.   Gluing, followed by a drywall screw in the loose joint, is an easy durable fix on wooden chairs.  Metal chairs are a lot less prone to loose joints if they are welded.  However, bolts on metal chairs and barstools may need to be tightened regularly, perhaps by adding a lock washer.

• Examine table tops for sway by putting two hands on the table top and forcing it to move.  If there is too much movement, check for missing levelers, loose screws that attach the base to the table top, or tighten the base with a wrench or pliers.

• Check upholstery fabric for tears, rips or split seams.  Sometimes small cuts can be repaired before they get larger.

• Segregate or discard items that may present a safety hazard or require immediate attention.

Making small, regular adjustments or repairs can extend the useful life of furniture pieces and ensure a better, safer customer experience as well.

Cleaning Restaurant Furniture

Many of the materials used in restaurant furniture are easy to care for, and most manufacturers still publish their preferred methods for cleaning and maintenance. This can be as simple as a daily wipe down with a damp cloth, or involve specific recommendations for treating restaurant table tops made of butcher block or vinyl covered chairs.  Specific materials respond differently to care, and for the best results, it’s always a good idea to review the published recommendations and institute a cleaning plan. This includes training current and new employees in furniture cleaning best practices. The extra time and attention can help avoid damage to materials like: glass, laminates, granite, chrome, brass, mirrored finishes and wood.

Although not exhaustive, these cleaning guidelines provide a generally effective and usually least aggressive approach to cleaning specific surfaces. For first use, test a small, inconspicuous area on the item to be cleaned to insure colorfastness:

• Aluminum – Clean with mild soap and water.

• Brass – Treat with brass cleaner or a mixture of vinegar and flour.

• Fabric – Blot liquid stains with a dry cotton cloth, and vacuum crumbs and dried on messes using a soft bristled brush if necessary.

• Glass and mirror – Clean with a glass cleaner, and use vinegar on a cloth to remove streaks.

• Granite – Clean with mild soap and water. Stains may require stronger treatment with special granite cleaner or hydrogen peroxide.

• Laminates – Clean with mild soap and water.

• Leather – Apply dry corn starch to absorb grease stains, and use a damp cloth for spot cleaning (Periodic professional cleaning is recommended.)

• Stainless steel – Clean with mild soap and water.

• Wood – Clean with a slightly dampened cloth, rubbing lightly with the wood grain. Wipe dry. Many wood products also require periodic wax treatments for added protection