Refurbishing Your Restaurant Booths

Once you initially purchase booths for your restaurant, you may feel like you are stuck with that look, that color scheme. Or perhaps you have recently acquired furniture from an old restaurant and are unhappy with the condition of the furniture. Don't feel as though you have to replace your booths as booths can be easily updated to match your new theme.

The selection of fabrics available for booths is virtually limitless and includes durable vinyls as well as soft suedes and unique patterns. There are even simple changes to the design of the booth that can drastically improve the look of your furniture. Visit Hazelwoods Booth Department for more options. Remember, many places customize furniture based on your specifications so think outside the box with you booth designs.

Make A Statement With Patio Furniture

If you have a patio connected to your restaurant, you may be torn as to whether you should invest in fancy furniture, knowing that it is going to be subject to the elements. You might be thinking that the best course of action is to simply purchase the cheapest furniture so that when it eventually wears out, it is not a huge loss. Just for a second, take a different approach to your patio furniture. Think about what it can do for the success of your restaurant.

Patio furniture is the first thing your guests see when they walk up to your restaurant. Give them the impression that your restaurant is unique and classy with furniture that will grab their attention and bring them inside. Choose furniture that is colorful, or has unique shapes. It doesn't have to be crazy, just something different than the ubiquitous metal/plastic furniture that you see at almost every other restaurant. Consider more lounge-like furniture. Easy chairs and arm chairs make the patio seem much cozier. Add durable cushions to the seats and you've got a very comfortable patio that is sure to draw people into your restaurant.

Space Saving Seating

It is in every restaurant's best interest to maximize the seating capacity of the establishment. You have a set square footage for the restaurant or bar and need to comfortably cram as many seats as possible into the space. There are several effective methods for maximizing seating capacity in a restaurant or bar.

1) Line the walls of the restaurant with a banquette or booths. Booths and benches are a great way to utilize the space right next to a wall that can sometimes go unused. While a booths are not very versatile (you cannot move seats or rearrange tables to accommodate different sizes of parties), banquettes provide ample seating and allow for versatility. Tables can be pushed together for large groups. Another attractive feature of banquettes is that virtually any body type can comfortably sit and dine.

2) In your bar, use bar stools without back rests. Back rests add extra bulk to the chair, and while they might not actually take up more square footage, they clutter the appearance of your bar. Generally people become more agitated in busy environments so keeping the visual clutter to a minimum is a good idea. With the back rests out of the way, you can add a few more bar stools without making the bar seem overly full. Be careful not to cram too many seats in the bar as people don't always enjoy rubbing elbows with a stranger.

3) Round tables are a great way to easily add seating without over-filling your dining room. A round table can comfortable fit 5, where a square table could only seat 4. This is a simple way of maximizing your dining room's seating potential without making it look like you're trying to cram chairs around tables. The most important thing to keep in mind is to not over do it. You'll find that a few extra chairs will be an asset, while too many may actually harm your restaurant's profits.

Adding Value with Vinyl

Though once thought to be cheap and unattractive, vinyl has evolved to become a very valuable material for both commercial and residential design projects. The cheap plastic-y material of the past has been modified and improved and is now a soft, supple, durable material that can enhance any dining room, whether it is in a restaurant or your own home.

First of all, vinyl is durable. It can withstand wear and tear that other materials such as leather and fabric cannot. Leather is easily scratched and stained while fabric can tear easily and be hard to clean. Vinyl is specifically manufactured with rough conditions in mind. It does not tear or rip easily and does not show scratches. It is easy to clean (just a quick wipe down with a wet cloth) and is stain resistant. It is ideal for high traffic environments, such as restaurants or bars, but can also be used for an easy care alternative in residential dining rooms.

Vinyl is also extremely versatile. There is a virtually limitless selection of colors and designs for you to choose from. Generally vinyl is manufactured in solid colors, but there are variations on texture and sheen. Vinyls may be combined in one piece of furniture to create a custom look. For example, you may combine a matte black vinyl with a metallic gold glossy vinyl in a booth seat. To view the wide selection of vinyls that are available, visit Hazelwoods.

Finding the Best Deal on Furniture

Sometimes what seems like the best deal is not always. The most important rule to follow when trying to maximize a budget is to do your research. First find the companies with the lowest prices, but then also inquire about bulk discounts. Often suppliers will add a 5 or 10% discount to large orders. Paying attention to discounts like these can save you money while still giving the same amount of furniture.

Say you have 23 tables in your restaurant, each needing 4 chairs. That makes for 92 chairs total. For ease, lets say each chair costs $50. The chairs alone will run you $4,600. However, if the furniture supplier has a bulk discount on orders over 100 chairs, it is in your best interest to order a few more. If you buy 100 chairs at $50 a piece the subtotal is $5,000. Add a 10% discount and your total is $4,500, $100 less than if you only ordered the 92 chairs that you needed. In the end, you get more chairs for less money. The supplier may also have discounts on tables so you might be able to get 2 extra tables for the extra chairs you have for a good deal.

Ultimately, to find the best deals on furniture, you need to do some research. visit several places to compare prices and ask about any discounts before you place your order.

Custom Tables

Customized tables are a great way to showcase your restaurant's individuality and creativity. They can be great for advertising purposes or simply for decoration. Custom tables can improve the flow of your restaurant as well as add an interesting dimension to the layout.

Tables can be customized to meet your specific needs. Whether you need a basic 30" x 30" square table with your logo printed on the top, or table that has a custom shape and size, the experts at Hazelwoods have you covered. Be creative with your table tops and add pizazz to your restaurant.

Custom tables can be used for more than just dining. Poker tables and gaming tables can be manufactured at some commercial furniture suppliers. Felt-covered and complete with chip holders, custom made gaming tables are great for either home or business.

There are an unlimited number of applications for custom-made tables. Visit with your Hazelwoods Sales Representative to design your own table.

Bar Layout and Design

The traditional bar set up is a long bar along one wall with space behind it for the bartender to work his/her magic. Perhaps there will be stools or seats along to bar for patrons to sit, but generally there isn't much emphasis on other bar furniture. There are ways to create more revenue by simply adding furniture to the bar.

There is often a lot of wasted space in a bar so why don't you place a few tall pub tables or bar tables in this space to add more room for people to converse. Where there is space, people will go, so you don't have to worry about tables not being put to use. Whether or not you arrange chairs or stools around the table is another thing to consider. If there are no seats at the tables, people will go to the bar to get a drink and gather around the tables to chat before going back to the bar for additional drinks. If you want to create a more formal bar setting, place chairs around the tables and have cocktail servers serve drinks to guests.

Bar furniture can be more than just decorative, it can help your business grow!

Does Your Restaurant Cater to the Aging Population?

It is an undisputed fact that the average age of the American citizen is increasing. Because of this there is a growing need in the health care industries. How does this effect your restaurant? Your restaurant needs to reflect the change in demographic or else your business may become obsolete.

The Baby Boomer generation is reaching the age where they need special accommodations to satisfy their needs. A large portion of the population needs mobility assistance in the form of walkers, wheelchairs, or canes. Your restaurant needs to allow adequate space for people with poor mobility to easily get to and from the table. Provide extra space for walkways and do not crowd chairs around tables. You should be able to remove just one chair from a table to make room for a wheelchair. Table height is another thing to consider when designing for an elderly clientele. Pub tables and bar height tables may not be the best choice as they are too high to pull a wheelchair up to. Also, it can be difficult for the elderly to climb onto a bar stool.

If you keep in mind the population you are serving and cater your furniture around their needs, you will have no problem when it comes to providing an excellent experience for people with disabilities and special needs.

Table Bases: More Than Support

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to table bases. There are different types of bases to support different types and sized of tables, and different styles of bases to match any decor. Choosing the right table base can be as simple as talking to an expert.

Pedestal bases are the most popular trend right now. They have only one support and provide the most space for legs and feet. For larger tables, consider using multiple pedestal bases for support. The downfall of pedestal bases, however, is that they can become wobbly over time. You can prevent this by frequently checking to make sure all screws and attachments are tight. Wipe the table base down on a daily basis to prevent buildup of food and grime, especially if your restaurant has fried or greasy food as the oil seems to get everywhere. If you maintain your table bases well, a pedestal base may be the right choice for you.

Another option for table support is the use of table legs. Table legs are a very classic look and are an excellent choice if you want to accent your furniture. Legs come in many styles and colors to create any look you want. From contemporary chrome legs to country chic distressed wood legs, you can create enhance your tables with legs as support.