restaurant patio furniture

7 Common Misconceptions about Restaurant Patio Furniture

When walking past a very organized restaurant patio, all of the restaurant patio furniture looks it was placed there effortlessly, simply ready for customers.

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That is similar to an Olympian making their particular sporting event appear effortless, when they have put so much work in to just get to the Olympics.

Common Misconceptions about Restaurant Patio Furniture

Using commercial patio furniture to create the perfect outdoor dining space does not take the effort of an Olympian, but there are some misconceptions that need to be cleared up.  Read on.

1. Patio Table Top Misconception – ‘All Table Tops can be Used Outdoors’

Be careful when selecting commercial table tops as they cannot all be used outdoors.  For example, oak is a solid hardwood that is grown outdoors, and then stored outdoors after cutting the tree down.  However, oak that has been dried and then finished, even with a very durable finish, will have a tough time staying together outdoors.  The sun’s ultraviolet rays, along with the natural expansion and contraction of the oak, and the various weather conditions, will cause the finish to peel and the oak table to warp and split.  Other woods are very similar in their reaction to the elements.  There are a few wood table exceptions such as teak that can be used outdoors.  Teak wood tables however, need to be maintained or they may turn gray.  Some stainless steel tables are constructed with particle board under the stainless steel, and when the particle board gets wet, it will swell, and the table top may become unusable.  Aluminum, stainless steel or resin are the materials best suited for use in outdoor table tops.

2. Patio Table Bases Misconception – ‘All Table Bases can be Used Outdoors’

Indoor bases may look sturdy and can hold up to the elements, but the standard indoor table base will rust when put outdoors.  This makes the table base look it hasn’t been maintained, and the rust from the table base can stain the patio floor.  There is a simple fix to solve this problem.  Simply spraying the baseplate and column with rust proof paint will help prevent the table base from rusting.  Flat black rust proof paint is the color most often used, and is very easy to spray onto the base.  Aluminum and stainless steel are the materials most commonly used for outdoor restaurant table bases without having to apply any paint.

3. Weather Misconception with Restaurant Patio Furniture – ‘Sun, Glare and Weather from the Sun are Not Important Considerations’

If thinking about customer comfort, then the sun and weather are important.  Consider the fact that dark granite table tops can become so hot in the sun that they can burn skin.  Stainless steel table tops may put off such a glare that is not possible to see into their reflection.  Placing the typical patio umbrella over the table top with the wood pole going through the table may be a solution, but only if the sun is directly overhead.  A better idea may be to stand alone umbrellas outside of the table, which can be moved to block the sun.  Resin tables used outdoors are a good choice to reduce heat and reflection, and many resin tables are sloped very slightly to allow rain water to flow off the table.

4. Theft of restaurant patio furniture misconception –  ‘Every piece of furniture on our restaurant patio needs to be chained up every night’

Restaurant patio furniture does not necessarily need to be chained up every night.  Restaurants find it difficult to find the time for extra activities like securing all the patio furniture every night.  There are other solutions than chaining furniture.  While some restaurants have the locking up process smooth, other need different ideas for their unsecured patio.   Some restaurants are successful using motion activated surveillance cameras.  Placing fake cameras on the patio are much better than no cameras.  There are alarms available that can be attached to one or two patio furniture sets every night that would sound off if furniture is moved.

Patio chairs

Some restaurants install an eye hook into the patio floor on either side of the patio and just run one coated metal rope to the eye hook on the other side, chaining as much as possible.  This saves time as there may not be too many pieces unchained.  Be prepared to chain, stack or move restaurant patio furniture if the area is windy or if a storm is expected.  Finally, take pictures or your patio furniture in advance as an added security measure, and can also be beneficial in recovering missing furniture pieces or for an insurance claim.

5. Patio tables wobble misconception – ‘Wobbling tables are just part of having a restaurant patio’

While many restaurant management people may not notice if their patio tables wobble, their customers certainly will.  As with the vast majority of all table bases, outdoor table bases come with levelers.   Before every seating, restaurant tables should be checked for any wobbling, and levelers should be by adjusted or replaced as needed.  Napkins or other objects placed under the base are unsightly, and are actually more difficult to use than the levelers to prevent wobbling.

6. Patio furniture is too expensive to heat misconception – ‘A restaurant could lose money by heating the patio’

While it is possible that a restaurant could lose money by heating their patio, properly heating the patio to extend the outdoor dining season or restaurant dining capacity can be profitable.  Most restaurants from the beaches in Florida, to the desert in Arizona, to the winter mountains of Colorado, can benefit at some point from using stand-alone gas heaters to heat their patios.  All these areas have similar cool nights at some point during the year where heaters can be most effective.  Gas patio heaters should always be monitored and turned off when not in use.  A suggestion would be to turn on the heaters when the indoor seating area is full and the outside air is in the right parameters, extending the dining capacity of the restaurant.  Measure food and drink profits against the cost of patio heater gas usage to gauge the efficiency of heating patio tables.

7. Patio furniture durability misconception – ‘Lighter patio furniture will break easily’

Common sense would suggest that the heavier a chair, the better quality it will be, but this is not always true.  Some materials are naturally heavy, but may fall apart due to poor construction.  For example, a heavier restaurant patio chair may use a nut and bolt to attach the legs to the frame.  Sometimes, just moving this type of patio chair will make the chair loose in a short period of time, due to the vibration of moving the chair.  A properly welded chair may be a better choice, even if that chair is much lighter than a heavier chair constructed using a nut and bolt.

By using, monitoring and measuring these ideas for restaurant patio furniture, more profit can be made by a restaurant patio business serving food and drinks.

FAQs

What kind of patio furniture is most durable?

The most durable and long lasting outdoor furniture is wrought iron, It lasts for decades. Wrought iron furniture comes with heavy frame for strength.

Is aluminum patio furniture durable?

Yes, The cast aluminum furniture is quite durable and lightweight for your day to day usage.

Where to buy patio furniture?

Missouri Table & Chair is the best place to buy all your patio furniture in wholesale price and comes with commercial warranty.