Establishing a restaurant is no easy feat; even after you’ve purchased the location and formed a tentative menu, you still need to decorate the place. Since restaurants are judged mainly on the quality of experience and quality of food, first impressions play heavily into creating a space that people will be happy to return to. This means that every design choice you make matters — from the upholstery fabrics to the furniture nailheads, and everything in between. The interior design industry generates around $10 billion in annual revenue, so you will have the pick of the litter when it comes to one of your most important decisions: your dining rooms tables. Here are three tips to get you started.
Consider your theme/style. While mismatched textures and decor styles can be charming if handled by a professional interior decorator, they risk making your restaurant look sloppy and disorganized if implemented without any knowledge of design. It is much easier to simply pick a theme and stick to it; the type of cuisine you’re marketing can help point you in the right direction, and a few Internet searches (or professional consultations) can inform you to buy either solid wood table tops or industrial steel tables, as an example.
Think about the space you have to work in. Dining room tables come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and failing to consider the impact those aspects play can have disastrous effects in your restaurant: tables that are too big or oddly shaped will make the space feel tight and cramped, and guests will frequently be bumping into each other; tables that are too small will look silly in large spaces, and may also cause overcrowding — if you have more tables to seat people at, you may end up overbooking and chewing off more than you can handle.
Pay attention to the legs. Solid wood table tops look great when you’re looking at them from above, but your guests won’t appreciate the beautiful finish if they’re constantly banging their knees against trestle supports or tangling their legs with others seated at their table. Be sure to try your table out yourself before you go ordering two or three dozen.
With a little bit of knowledge and a whole lot of effort, your dining room tables will perfectly complement your new (or revamped!) restaurant.
