Commercial Barstools

What kind of restaurants need barstools?  Some restaurant styles that come immediately to mind are taverns, cocktail lounges and sports bars.  Diner style restaurants with long counters need short, swivel style barstools.  Many restaurants with a large dining area also feature a separate bar area where barstools are used.  The types of restaurants using barstool seating is limitless.  This article covers some basic information about commercial barstools.

Types of Barstools

Commercial barstools are manufactured from a variety of materials.  A couple materials barstools are consistently manufactured from are metal and wood.  Both wood frame and metal frame barstools come in a wide price range so there are options in either category for the budget of any business.  Barstools are available in various heights such as table or dining, counter and bar height.  Restaurant barstools are available with or without swivels and with backs or backless.

Metal Frame Barstools

Metal frame barstools feature a variety of metal frame color options, and usually feature either a wood or padded vinyl seat.  Because of the wide variety of metal frame colors, and the limitless designs and colors of the seats and backs, there is a barstool option that will work in almost any seating area.

Wood Frame Barstools

Commercial wood barstools can be manufactured from many types of wood, with beech wood being one of the most popular and durable frame options.  Wood frame barstools usually feature seats that are either wood, padded vinyl or upholstered.  The warm tones of wood barstools enhance any restaurant or business setting in which they are used.  The choices of many wood stain options such as mahogany, walnut, natural and oak, just to name a few accentuate the colors of the space they inhabit.  Just as with the metal barstools, the seat and back vinyl, upholstery and wood options are available in a limitless color palette making them easy to match to the décor of any business.

Other Barstool Options

There are a few other options to consider in styles of barstools.  Backless barstools are very useful in a variety of settings.  Backless barstools can come with a variety of accents, such as wood with wood seats, wood with padded seats, or metal with vinyl padded seats.  Backless barstools are available in heights anywhere from 18 inches to 31 inches, with the most common heights being 18 inches, 24 inches or 30 inches.  Backless barstools are normally placed at a long bar or counter top style dining areas.

Barstools that swivel can greatly enhance the ease with which customers can enter and exit the seats.  Swivel barstools are manufactured with either a 180 degree turning span, or a 360 degree turning span allowing the barstool to swivel in a complete circle.  Swivel barstools are available in many styles such as metal swivel barstools with wood or vinyl seats, metal bucket style barstools, and metal round barstools with or without a banded seat.  Various models of round metal stools are available with or without a seat back.

Barstool Heights

Bar stools and chairs come in table height, counter height and bar height.  Usually eating surfaces are referred to as table or dining height which is 28” to 30” high, counter height which is 36” to 38” high, and bar height which is 40” to 43” high.  To match these dining surfaces, for dining height you will need a bar stool with a 17” or 18” seat height.  To match a counter height, you will need a barstool with a 24” to 25” seat height, and for a bar height eating surface, you will need a 29” to 31” seat height barstool.  There are barstools taller than this for especially tall or custom height bars, and those are normally custom made special order barstools.

How Many Barstools to Buy

To determine how many barstools you will need for your bar or counter, first measure how long the space is.  After figuring the length of the counter in feet, divide the length by two, and this will give you how many bar stools you will need.  A general guideline is two feet of dining space for each barstool will be comfortable for the customer.

Where to Purchase Commercial Barstools

No matter what type of barstool is desired, a good the place to start when deciding to purchase commercial bar stools, or any type of commercial furniture, is a reputable commercial furniture supplier.  Any of the experienced representatives at Missouri Table and Chair can assist you with advice on commercial barstools.