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Choosing furniture for any commercial setting is tough so we've put together these essential steps to follow when shopping for your establishment.
So you've taken the plunge and decided to start up your very own eatery or maybe you've been in the business for many years and are looking to revamp your establishment. Either way, your choice of furniture should play a key role in the appearance and style of your restaurant.
Choosing furniture for any commercial setting is time consuming, exhausting and fraught with perils. This is why we've put together these essential steps to follow when shopping for your establishment.
Theme
First things first, deciding and then sticking to a theme (if you don’t already have one) is the most important factor when buying furniture.
Are you a café, Michelin star restaurant, bar, pub, lounge, 50’s/60's styled place or something more eccentrically themed?
Whatever your style, you should have a very good idea of what kind of furniture will go well with your art, your colour scheme and your general ambience.
Unless you are a mix 'n' match kind of place, cluttering up your establishment with a lot of different pieces will serve you no purpose.
Space
Speaking of serving, do you have space in your restaurant to allow for the proper movement of staff and customers alike? If you have limited space, you will need to decide if there is a need to buy big, comfortable chairs and sofas or whether straight backed chairs would make more sense.
Proper arrangement and planning is paramount if you are to have a smooth flow of people in and out of your restaurant and not cause obstructions to anyone.
Seating Arrangements
For those places that are up-market or cater to different clientèle within the same premise, you must have furniture that suits the purpose of your patrons. For example, having bar stools in the main eating area is not recommended as it serves no purpose and distracts from the theme. If you cater to large parties and groups, having a few seating areas with big, comfortable sofas is a must and adds to the overall appeal of the space.
Pricing
Along with the cost of the furniture itself you should also taken into consideration the cost of the accessories that accompany them. Also, costs associated with the care, maintenance and upkeep of the chairs, tables, stools and other items should be taken into account.
If you have antique furniture, factor in the cost of buying, maintaining, cleaning and polishing the various pieces to keep them looking pristine and to preserve their value.
Quality
It goes without saying that if you skimp and buy low quality items, you might save in the short-term but you are creating a situation where there will almost certainly be added expense in the long-term when it comes to replacing worn out, badly manufactured items.
While mindless splurging is not recommended and is unnecessary, buying well made, good quality furniture that reflects your taste and theme is the best way to go.
Yes, a little bit of hard work and research is needed, but there are quality items to be bought within all price ranges and to suit all budgets. You just need to know where to look.