Profitable dining room design involves balancing multiple elements: guest and employee safety, service efficiency, aesthetics, and financial implications. At first glance, it would seem that the cost per rectangular foot, as well as the potential revenue generated by each seat, would be the dominant consideration. In general, lower exam rates require higher seating density, and higher exam rates can translate to fewer seats, greater guest comfort, and slower turnover.

However, the determining factor is not necessarily to fill an empty room with as many tables as possible; rather, the goal is to strike a balance between customer comfort and ease and ultimate benefit, in a way that best suits the restaurant’s concept and image. Most people have different seating preferences at movie theaters, plays, ballparks, and restaurants. Whenever possible, give your customers the option of choosing exactly where they want to sit: booth or table, near or away from the window, smoking or non-smoking section (in case your city or state still allows smoking in restaurants), etc

The availability of guests with seating arrangements can influence the rest of your meal, even if they stay long enough to order. As for the furniture itself, there are countless designs to choose from. Being a chorus, industry experts tell us to choose seating and furniture “from the customer’s point of view.” What does this mean? Well, let’s take a family-oriented Italian restaurant as an example, seen through the eyes of a mother and father with two children who go there for dinner. You want them to appreciate the fact that you went to the trouble to bring the “Italian” look and feel through and into your décor.

You also want them to feel comfortable dining with their children. They may require high chairs and booster seats. How many should you have for a busy night? Is there enough space between the tables to accommodate a taller chair and allow the server to do a good job? Does the upholstery clean well after smearing it with marinara sauce? Is there a place with a little more privacy for diners, say, parents who have a babysitter, who, for once, don’t want to sit with a group of families? As you can see, style and décor are part of many related decisions. Popular types of seating include chairs, stools, booths, and banquettes. Booths offer a particular sense of privacy or intimacy, but tables and chairs tend to be more adaptable, as they can be moved around as needed.

A stool is an upholstered sofa fixed to the wall, with a support placed in front of it. Banquettes are a hybrid of booth and table, more adaptable than a booth, but still need to hug the wall. Banks are becoming very fashionable these days. Not only can they be upholstered in any number of elegant fabrics, but they maximize seating space by filling in corners and allowing more guests to sit than would fit in individual chairs. Bar stools, whether at bars or higher cocktail tables, are the most casual seating option.

It is generally best to design a dining area with a combination of seating and support designs for maximum flexibility. Think about the ability to accommodate large and small groups at any time. Seating should also be arranged with clearly defined aisles and tables not far from the kitchen, as these factors affect both safety and speed of service. Because they are a large investment that will likely be in use for a long time, great care must be taken to choose seating that is comfortable, durable, adaptable, and suitable for the type of dining it will offer.

The typical restaurant chair has a life of five years, but the best ones can last 10 or more. The chairs are part of the general design of the area, so the style you select should be in keeping with the image and atmosphere of the area. You may hear the term “scale” used in seat selection. The scale of an object is your visual perception of its size. Whenever you compare the captain’s chair to the Windsor chair, they are actually exactly the same size, but the Windsor chair seems lighter and more dainty. This illustrates the scale distinction between the two. As soon as you’ve selected a fashion, hone in on the technical aspects of chair construction.

Much less expensive chairs can be glued or even stapled, which is not optimal for durability. Upkeep and maintenance are important, for example if the manufacturer will keep spare parts available over the years. Frames can be created from metal, wood, or plastic. They can be stained, stained, painted or lacquered; Stained and tinted frames are the easiest to maintain, and tinting allows for an endless choice of colors. The seats may or may not be upholstered.

Chairs can have arms, but only if your furniture is roomy enough to accommodate them. Ask about protective laminate finishes for wooden chairs, which would otherwise easily chip and dent. Examine style flaws that would be problematic within a public setting: Do clothes snag or catch at the edges? Are any of the edges sharp enough to accidentally scrape or cut someone (guests or waiters)?

Would the legs be wobbly? How will the chair hold up when someone very overweight sits on it? For those who have a lot of female visitors, can a bag or jacket be hung over the back of the chair without it sliding to the floor? It is advisable to order samples of several chairs and try them out for a week or two. Listed below are some details that can help in the assortment of chairs:

An angle of 15 degrees is recommended for the back of that chair. The depth from the seat, from the edge to the back of the chair, should be 16 inches. The height of the chair, from the floor to the top of the chair back, must not exceed 34 inches. Something greater prevents the servers. The normal distance from your seat to the ground should be 18 inches. The distance between the seat and the table must be 12 inches. Allow 24 to 26 inches of space for each chair at a table; 28 inches if they are seats. For bar or counter seating, allow 24 to 26 inches for each stool.

Also think about how chairs or stools work when they are empty. Do they match under tables or bar armrests? Can they be easily pushed out when not in use, to create more spacious hallways? Are they stackable? Are they easy to clean and easy to move around when the floor needs cleaning? Cabin seats are an additional frequent option. You used to see booths only in casual bars and restaurants, but they also look great in upscale restaurants, where they provide a sense of privacy and romance.

Booths can save space, taking up as little as eight square feet per person. However, booths are more labor intensive than furniture, because they are more difficult to clean under and around, and they cannot be moved to accommodate numerous sizes of dining rooms. Deciding on the general atmosphere of your dining room will go a long way in selecting your booth. The room usually determines how much furniture you’ll need, and in most cases, you can get more rectangular than round furniture within the same rectangular space. Research shows that square tables also seem to produce faster turnover, while round tables make visitors stick around a bit longer.

Attention to aesthetics may require that you simply combine square and round furniture within your dining area, placing them at different angles to avoid the military dining room mentioned above. The more exclusive a restaurant is, the more space it allocates to each customer. A fine dining establishment should allow 15 to 18 rectangular feet for each guest; a moderately priced restaurant, 12 feet per guest; for banquets, a minimum of 10 square feet for each person. When shopping for furniture, check to make sure it’s solidly built. You would like long time use and solid service from them. Self-leveling legs or bases allow you to adjust for wobbles and also allow the table to slide easily across the floor if you want to move.

A recent invention, called Table Shox®, is actually a self-adjusting hydraulic slider that works like a little shock absorber to adjust to uneven floor surfaces and prevent wobbling. Consider whether you will cover the furniture with sheets, butcher paper, or nothing at all. You need to make a decision in advance about the type of finish you want on your tables, especially if you won’t be using tablecloths. There’s a world of options, from marble, wood, and ceramic to long-lasting plastic laminates like Formica and Corian, which are stain resistant and easy to maintain.

These days they come in numerous patterns, like faux marble, which would work even in a fancy restaurant. Regardless of what you decide, a booth should use a waterproof layer and its bottom should be positioned to give your customers a comfortable amount of legroom underneath. If the lighting will be low and your tables will be covered, an easy pedestal-style base is appropriate. However, if the dining room is airy and open and the furniture will not have tablecloths, the fashion of the table base can be part of your style.

The furniture must be chosen together with the chairs, since they will be used together. For example, furniture that is 26 inches tall works best with chairs that are 16 inches. from seat to floor; Furniture that is 30 inches tall works best with chairs that are 18 inches. from the seat to the floor. Table bases no longer just come in chrome, brass, or black enamel. Current trends range from fiery red and dark green to copper, pewter or bronze plated finishes. Those little feet at the bottom of the base that keep the stand stable also come in various styles. You will most likely choose between the so-called four-pronged spider bottom and the cylindrical mushroom bottom. The table, from floor to top, was to be 30 inches high. Here are some basic sizes and uses of brackets:

For 1 or two people: a square table of 24 x 30 inches, also known generally as two tables or deuce. For three or four visitors: a square table of 36 x 36 inches; a 30-by-48-inch rectangular table, commonly called a four-top; or a 42-inch diameter round table. (You’ll find round tables that are 36-inches in diameter, but they’re a tight fit for four.)

For 5 or six guests: two and four can be joined to create seating for up to six people; or use a 48 or 54 inch diameter round table.

For seven or eight visitors: two four-seater pieces of furniture can be joined together; or use a 72-inch diameter round table.
For cocktail lounges: a 20-by-20-inch rectangular stand; or maybe a 20-inch diameter round table.