Once the decision to open a restaurant is made, there are multiple tasks to accomplish, from signing a lease to hiring staff to purchasing the equipment needed. One of the tasks is to purchase restaurant furniture, which is critical because the furniture is going to be a major contributor to the customer’s impression of the restaurant. All restaurant owners want repeat business, and one way is to purchase just what the customer wants for a particular restaurant. Below are some great tips to assist anyone responsible for the task of purchasing restaurant furniture.
Where do you start your search?
There are many sources of restaurant equipment, from suppliers in local communities to the Internet. The secret is to contact many sources of restaurant furniture. For example, contact a local restaurant supplier and ask where to purchase butcher block table tops. Then ask other restaurants in a new restaurant area where they purchased their wood table tops. Ask a designer, an architect or even an office supply store for a source for table tops. The information being sought here is the names of table and chair supplier that come up the most. This should provide at least two valued suppliers from which to select.
Once a few vendors are found then what?
Now it is time to look at the vendors’ websites to see if they sell the style of tables and/or chairs that match the restaurant. It is also important to find out what their lead time is and the cost of the furniture. If there are two potential vendors involved, prepare a side by side comparison of your specific product needs and options. Next on your comparison should be the lead time, which is important to the opening of the new restaurant. Freight cost, sales taxes, how long the company has been in business, and whether they offer a commercial furniture warranty are also important comparisons. Contact vendors by phone to see how knowledgeable their representatives are, and if they are easy to reach, especially when problems arise. Do the personalities of the vendor match in an acceptable way?
Ask the vendor questions about specific pictures.
Once a picture is found of the desired restaurant furniture, some very specific questions need to be asked. Knowing the price is helpful when asking questions, because then a judgment can be made as the specifics are discussed. With restaurant chairs, ask how the joints are made and what the dimensions are, since it is difficult to tell if a chair is 15” wide or 18” wide from a picture. The difference between these two size chairs will make a huge difference for customers. These same questions apply to barstools as well as chairs. One key question with barstools is about the bottom rungs. Ask about the durability of the rungs, as customers will step on them, and climb them like a ladder to get into the barstool. Ask the vendor about joint construction in wood chairs, and welded joints with metal chairs, as these are important factors in durability.
For wood table tops, question the vendor about the table top finish, as that is the first thing to wear out and cause a repair or replacement expense. If discussing an outdoor table, ask if the finish will fade, or get excessively hot. A picture does not indicate if a table top can be used outdoors or not, so be sure to let the vendor know where table tops will be located. As a general rule wood does not do well outside, except for species like teak. Wood works very well inside, but knowing about the finish is critical. There are many types of finishes, from lacquers to epoxy, so it is valuable to have an expert other than the vendor verify the durability of the finish.
The important questions to ask on bases are about the thickness of the metal base columns. The column thickness indicates how stable the table top will be for customers. For example, an 18 gauge column will be studier than a 22 gauge column, but it is impossible to tell this from a picture. The 18 gauge column will be more expensive, but the extra expense will be commensurate with the durability.
Searching for restaurant furniture is not easy especially with all the similar pictured items available from various vendors. Follow these guidelines to get the best results possible when purchasing restaurant furniture.
