Month: July 2014

Restaurants make profits not only in the food they serve in their dining rooms, but also on how much eating space there is available. A restaurant with a large number of comfortable restaurant tables and chairs encourages diners to spend more time at the eating establishment, as they will stay longer while ordering more food and drinks.

Some restaurants seek to increase their profits by furnishing outdoor spaces with tables and chairs to turn then into another dining spot. While the increased number of tables and chairs can bring in more profits, there are a number of factors to consider when it comes to furnishing the outdoor restaurant space.

How Will You Protect Restaurant Furniture From The Outdoor Elements?

Keep in mind that the restaurant furniture you use inside the main dining area may not be suitable for your outdoor space. You need furniture that can withstand the outdoor elements of wind, rain, hail, and the harsh sunlight. Unless you plan to constantly move the outdoor furniture indoors after hours, you will need to pick out furniture that can last when constantly sitting outdoors.

You can prolong the life of restaurant furniture by investing in outdoor shelters such as cabanas, umbrellas and other shade structures. Yet using shelters over furniture can affect the amount of space in the outdoor eating area. So keep this fact in mind when purchasing the correct number of furniture pieces.

Certain materials will also be affected differently by the weather outside. Metal furniture will absorb more heat, making it hot to the touch. Also, leather upholstery will also become too hot to sit on. Furniture with fabric upholstery and cushions will need to be mold and mildew resistant when it rains outside or if there is a lot of humidity and moisture in the air, such as a waterfront or beachfront restaurant with an outdoor eating space.

Understanding the Maintenance Involved With Outdoor Restaurant Furniture

Outdoor restaurant furniture will require more upkeep than the furniture inside your eating establishment. Furniture left outdoors will acquire dust and grime faster as they need to be constantly washed and cleaned to keep up the beautiful appearance.

In addition, the material used for the outdoor furniture will dictate the type of cleaning methods to use. So consider the amount of maintenance you want to perform on the furniture and the specific cleaning methods before purchasing the restaurant furniture for your outdoor space.

Having an outdoor space for your restaurant can increase your sales profits. Yet consider carefully the types of outdoor restaurant furniture to use so that it is low maintenance and fits perfectly in the outdoor dining space.

For more information, you can call one of our 3 California store locations: San Jose, San Carlos, Pleasant Hill

Bar stools are more than just seating for people at tall counters and bars in your living room, dining room or outdoor space. They are valuable pieces of furniture that have people looking at eye level with standing guests as the seating encourages conversations and fun times.

Yet one of the biggest mistakes people make is that they believe all home bar stools are interchangeable. They will normally buy bar stool as a set with a bar table. But once the bar table is damaged or worn out, the stools will be placed with other pieces of furniture such as the kitchen counter, island counters, or other bar tables.

Why It May Be Worth It To Purchase New Bar Stools

While reusing your old bar stools is a great way to have additional seating in other areas of the home, you have to keep in mind that the bar stools may not be suited for particular uses. Not every counter or bar table will be the same height as each other. You could make your guests uncomfortable as they have to sit on the old bar stools and try to eat or converse with other guests.

Before reusing the bar stools in other areas of the home, check out the height of the bar stool and compare it to the height of the new counter or bar table. There should be at least a 10 inch to 12 inch clearance from the seat of the stool with the bottom of the counter. If it is lower than this, the bar stool is too low and can make eating and drinking at counters difficult. If the stool is too high, people won’t be able to fit legs underneath the counter or table.

Think About The Costs When Repairing Upholstery On Bar Stools

Upholstery bar stools of leather and fabric provide a comfortable place to sit as the stool can feel as relaxing as sitting on a couch or leather chair. Yet upholstery is less durable than other materials as it can become scratched and torn. There are many kits on the market to repair upholstery, yet consider whether it would be cost-effective to repair the bar stool versus buying a new one. Factors to keep in mind.

Are you constantly repairing the stools every few months?

Is the damage caused from the weakness of the fabric due to age?

Is there numerous damage to the upholstery, or are the tears and scratches so large that it is hard to repair them without still seeing the damage?

While it is often cheaper to repair upholstery, there are some cases when repairs will cost more for your budget in the long run than it would to buy a brand new bar stool. Keep these facts in mind when reusing old bar stools in the home.

Call us at one of our three locations if you have more quesitons: San Jose, Pleasant Hill, and San Carlos.