There is More To Consider When Choosing Commercial Outdoor Dining Furniture
When buying indoor dining tables and seating for a restaurant, once you deal with décor, budget, and design questions, you’re pretty much there. Outdoor dining furniture has some additional considerations you might not think of…
Maximizing Your Outdoor Space
Oftentimes, especially in an urban or strip mall location, there is not a lot of space. Smaller tables with smaller café chairs may be called for. Perhaps a 32″x32″ or smaller table will be required versus the 36″x36″ you might use indoors. Also, you may want to use a smaller chair and one without arms to maximize space efficiency.
Will the area where the outdoor dining furniture will live be under the cover of a roof or awning? If not, will you be using umbrellas? If going with umbrellas you may want to consider tables and bases that accommodate them. Another option is free standing and cantilever umbrellas.
In an uncovered outdoor dining space think about the type of table, solid surface versus slats or mesh. Solid tables will need to be wiped off after a rain, versus mesh or slatted tops that will drain. Additionally, depending on the material of the table top, if they will be subjected to direct sunlight, they may get hot to the touch. Certain materials can get VERY hot and present a comfort risk for the patron.
Consider The Elements
The venue can require materials be used for their weight. A sidewalk café where the tables and chairs will be moved and stored each night, should be lightweight and stackable to help the staff. A seaside or other location prone to winds will want to consider a heavier product less likely to be blown around.
If your operation is in a seaside location, avoiding steel products is a good idea. Even the best quality powder coated finish on steel can be no match for the effects of salt air. Rust can appear and lead to a shorter life for outdoor dining furniture. In these settings, aluminum furniture or plastic furniture would be the preferred options.
Know Your Audience
What type of clothes will you patrons be wearing? If they will be in shorts or possibly beach or pool attire, avoid mesh furniture that will leave a “lasting impression” on their legs. Solid or slatted dining seats are preferable, but again, if not under cover, the solid seats will need to be dried after a rain and can hold heat.
Don’t Forget About Storage
There are other considerations in your selection of outdoor dining furniture, such as space saving stackability for seating and, if the furniture will be stored throughout the off season, can the tables be disassembled for easier storage.
To learn more about BFM Seating’s full range of outdoor dining sets, please click here or call us at 215-289-5411.
