The Importance of Choosing the Right Seating for Your Restaurant

Sitting down to a meal with friends is one of life’s simplest pleasures. As the owner of a restaurant, it is your pleasure to create a welcoming space for people to come together to share food and each other’s company. Considering your restaurant’s seating is part of creating that atmosphere.

There are many ways to approach restaurant seating, and it’s important to get it right. From the look, to the function, to the arrangement, it will be one of the first things your customers experience. Taking the time to think about some of the following factors will help you get the most out of your restaurant’s seating.

First impressions

The old saying that you eat with your eyes first is as true of your décor as it is of your food. The first impression your customers will have of your restaurant is how it looks. When you’re serving up delicious, beautiful food, you want the furniture to demonstrate the same aesthetic care. The look of your seating should be consistent with the look and feel of your establishment.

The Tone

Think about the tone you want to set. For fine dining, your seating should reflect the class and sophistication of your food and service. This could be achieved by using seating materials such as polished wood or velvet upholstering. For a sleek, modern café or eatery, you could look to strike a more casual tone. Brushed metal or pastel colours are both great options to produce a chic atmosphere. For a cosy, inviting tone, booth and banquette seating is another great option that can accommodate larger groups.  

Perhaps there is a particular region or cuisine your restaurant is inspired by. Your seating could be adorned with patterns or symbols which pay respect to that influence. Overall, the aesthetics of your seating should contribute to a coherent design plan across the whole restaurant.

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Style of Eating

It’s not just the style of food you need to consider, but the style of eating. How long do you expect customers to need to sit down in your restaurant? Will they be ordering individually, or for the table? Will your customers mostly be sitting inside, or be sitting outside? These, too, have implications for your seating. By thinking about the functional requirements of your seating, you can tailor it better to your restaurant’s style of eating.

For instance, if your restaurant is a grab-and-go lunch spot, your seating should support this. You could maximise efficiency with a bar which skirts the perimeter of the space, stocked with comfortable, stylish bar stools. For a twelve-course degustation, your customers will be spending a lot more time seated. Your seating needs to ensure they are going to be comfortable for the whole meal.

Furniture Materials

After operating an establishment for some time, upgrading or replacing furniture is inevitable. This is commonly due to wear and tear. However, you can reduce the frequency of this by investing in quality materials at the outset. When you are first purchasing seating, think about how it will age. Sturdy, high-quality materials are best, as they save you money down the track. They will also help avoid having seating which looks worn-out and unfit for purpose, which could be off-putting for some customers.

Seating serves as an opportunity to express the identity and vision of your restaurant. While it may appear to be a basic part of fitting out a restaurant, success in the hospitality industry often comes down to nailing the basics. There are several things to take into account to get the right restaurant seating. In both form and function, it should support the experience your customers will have when eating in at your establishment.