How many times have you been out for a coffee, snack, or full meal and not fully enjoyed the experience because the cafe furniture has been uncomfortable or cramped? Serving first-class coffee, epicure, appetizing food, and drink, and providing observant table service is a crucial part of a successful catering business, however, if your clients are not comfortable and relaxed the impact can be lost.
Sitting on cafe chairs that are too low for the table, hard, cold, or unsteady simply takes the gloss off any of your comestible efforts and affects the comprehensive impression made on your clientele.
Also, consider how important the ocular impact of your cafe tables and chairs is. Walking along a seafront esplanade or city high street, where there is much food and drink outlets for potential customers to choose from, there are two main influences in your final choice of where to dine. One of course is the menu on offer, but the other firm is the look and feel of the place often generated by the cafe furniture, the decor, and the layout of the dining area.
When arranging a new cafe or restaurant, or making renovations to an existing premise, give some mindful thought to the furniture and layout of the public area, as well as the kitchens, menu, and other issues involved in this complex business.
For outdoor dining, restaurant tables and chairs are designed to allow for durability and storage, and often lightweight and stackable. Ranging in construction many utilize aluminium, plastic, PVC “wicker” weave, and weatherproof materials such as molded resin tabletops.
For indoor dining, the design is less limited by being weatherproof, lightweight, and stackable, and is, therefore, able to be constructed of solid timber, and be upholstered in fabric or leather or vinyl. However, one dominant aspect to remember is the necessity to keep furniture clean. Tables should be able to be hygienically cleaned, surfaces should be free of grooves and crevices where old food can hide and grow, and chairs need to be able to be wiped clean of spillages easily without leaving stains.
Today there is a large wide range of cafe furniture available in an amazing array of designs ready to put the final touch on the dining experience, and the process of choosing the right colour, design, and application can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience. Whether it is a traditional or modern alfresco scene, or somewhere in between you are looking for your restaurant, using a cafe furniture supplier who will help and guide you through this process is a sensible option. Use their experience and knowledge to your benefit and make sure they will back you up with good after-sale service should you encounter any defects or difficulties with your furniture.
Tips to maintain outdoor furniture in the restaurant.
- Avoid placing your furniture in direct sunlight, as sunlight causes fading.
- Avoid extreme changes in temperature by arranging furniture away from radiators, heat and air vents, and air conditioning units.
- Avoid placing plastic or rubber materials (lamp bases, notebooks, placemats, etc.) on your furniture, as certain plastics contain ingredients that may damage the finish.
- Periodically rotate accessories on furniture so they do not sit in the same spot all the time.
- Use pads, cloth, or felt to protect the furniture surface from plastic, rubber, hot dishes, beverages, bookends, flowerpots, and vases.
- Clean up spills immediately. Use a blotting rather than a wiping action. Water left over a long period will cause white spots in the finish. Alcohol, perfume, after-shave, and medications can cause severe finish damage.
- Use a protective pad when writing with a ballpoint pen on the furniture surface.
- Lift and place objects rather than dragging them across the furniture surface.
- Avoid placing furniture directly under windows.
