Restaurant Furniture Design: Get Answers Before Buying

Hotdog stand or French bistro? City or country resort? Lakeside or sidewalk? Covered or open air? Lots to consider when selecting outdoor restaurant furnishings.

Here’s a list of questions you need to have answers to before you make your final decisions:

• Do you need to haul in your furnishings at the close of business every day, or can your tables and chairs be left outdoors? This may affect your decision on stackable chairs.
• Are there city codes you must abide by to use that little strip of sidewalk outside your front window—codes that may limit your space, choice of furnishings, and so on?
• What weather elements must you contend with—dry desert air or humid and tropical? Your locale can impact the materials you select.
• Need umbrellas? That definitely impacts your table choices.
• Is your establishment self-serve—and self-clean up—or bussed?
• Want a casual or elegant look and feel?

These are just for starters. As with all your decision making, do your research. Ask yourself all the questions that will lead you to the smart choices you need to make about your restaurant furniture.