The first step toward purchasing commercial restaurant furniture is to determine who your ideal customer is and what restaurant image they are attracted to. Then examine your budget and think creatively while considering the pricing and costs of restaurant and foodservice furnishings. The way your restaurant is decorated says a lot about your business—and your customers.

Always stop to consider how much time and money it will take to maintain the furniture you buy. Does the upholstery require professional cleaning or can your employees wipe it down with a damp cloth and mild cleaner? How long will that chair's upholstery last? Will the upholstery cloth help hide minor stains and wear, or will it highlight them? With these thoughts in mind, examine restaurant and foodservice furnishings carefully, keeping your image—as well as your budget—in mind. Consider:

1. What costs are involved with dining furnishings like chairs and bar stools?

2. How much will wholesale restaurant furniture, like lounge items, cost?

3. What will outdoor restaurant furniture run you?

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Price diner furnishings, including chairs and stools

When it comes to furniture for restaurants, standard bar stools of metal generally run $30 to $50, depending upon design. Booth prices vary widely, depending upon upholstery and size; a small booth with plastic upholstery is about $200 to $400, while a 3/4 circle booth runs $1,000 to $1,500. Expect to pay $20 to $60 for standard metal chairs and $50 to $90 for wood chairs.

I recommend: For a good selection of standard chairs, bar stools and booths, see CPAPC Restaurant Design & Supply. For less common designs, see the Beaufurn website; they carry many types of chairs and bar stools.

Think about lounge restaurant furnishing for a comfortable feel

Lounge furniture varies widely in style and quality, but generally, expect to pay $300 to $900 for an upholstered couch. Upholstered chairs may be purchased wholesale for as little as $80 or as high as $500. An upholstered waiting bench will run you $100 to $300.

I recommend: SeatingExpert.com has a nice selection of upholstered lounge furniture, including waiting benches, couches and chairs. For some higher end pieces, see the commercial lounge collection at BK Barrit.

Factor in the cost of outdoor restaurant dining furniture

Outdoor restaurant furniture is its own specialty. Metal chairs range in price from $50 to $300, depending upon size and complexity of design. Melamine dining furniture tables are $40 to $100, plastic commercial picnic tables $500 to $800 and fiberglass picnic tables run $700 to $1,500 apiece.

I recommend: Central Restaurant Products carries a good, basic selection of outdoor restaurant furniture, while Furniture Leisure is an excellent place to buy commercial picnic tables.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There's no doubt restaurant furnishings are expensive, but when dealing with restaurant furniture suppliers, don't be tempted to shop exclusively by price. Your customers will instantly notice if your furniture is poorly made, and this reflects badly on everything about your business, from the food you serve to the success of your venture.

Determine the formality or casualness of your restaurant by carefully selecting its furniture and decor. Whether you're furnishing a fast food restaurant or a funky bistro, the selection of furniture is a key in setting the mood; keep that in mind when you're shopping for furnishings for your restaurants.

Ensure that the restaurant furniture you're purchasing is intended for the use it'll experience. Paying for leather booths and exposing them to hours of direct sunlight isn't going to provide you with the long-term functionality you were expecting.

1. Save money with wholesale restaurant furniture.

2. Choose fast food restaurant furniture for strength and durability.

3. Purchase restaurant furniture designed for outdoor use.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find furniture for restaurants at wholesale prices

Investigate wholesale restaurant furniture sources to help you get the highest quality of restaurant furniture at the best price available. Working directly with the wholesaler saves you the price of the middle man retailer, allowing you to purchase more furniture or better quality furniture.

I recommend: CPAPC Restaurant Design & Supply, Inc. stands ready to fully supply your restaurant needs at wholesale prices, leaving you more money in your pocket to help your restaurant business succeed. Beaufurn Beautiful Furniture has a wide array of wholesale commercial restaurant furniture, some ready for immediate delivery.

Select commercial restaurant furniture designed for fast food restaurants

Fast food restaurants must stand up to a tremendous amount of traffic. Between car seats and kids' shoes and the quick turn over, you have to make sure the fast food furnishings you select are sturdy enough to withstand fast food traffic.

I recommend: ADL Contract Furniture can provide you with several different seating options specifically designed to meet the needs of the fast food restaurant owner. Plan It Furniture is ready to meet all of your fast food restaurant furniture needs, including booths and booster seats.

Buy dining furniture made to withstand outdoor weather conditions

Outdoor seating can add to your capacity and create a second atmosphere for your diners to enjoy. Outdoor seating takes a beating that most other furnishings will never see. Verify the furniture you're purchasing can stand up to your local weather conditions. If it's not, you'll want to use portable furnishings that you can store during the harshest weather conditions.

I recommend: Furniture Leisure has a wide array of outdoor restaurant furniture including picnic tables and pool furniture. Central Restaurant Products can provide you with seating, lighting and fencing as part of your outdoor restaurant furniture.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take advantage of refurbished diner furnishings to save you money. Used restaurant furnishings can be picked up from restaurants going out of business or from companies who specialize in refurbishing restaurant and foodservice furnishings.

Interior design is not only for your home, but also for businesses, like restaurant and diner furnishings. Depending on the type of establishment you own, you'll want to have restaurant and foodservice furnishings education and training to design your foodservice business.

Restaurant furnishings are just as important to your business as your menu and your chef. Consider these areas as you look for restaurant and foodservice furnishings education and training.

1. Determine what type of restaurant furnishings you'll need, such as commercial restaurant furniture, restaurant bar furniture, fast food restaurant furniture or outdoor restaurant furniture.

2. Decide what restaurant furnishings will go along with your restaurant's theme.

3. Learn how to choose the right restaurant furnishings for your establishment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn what type of restaurant furnishings you'll need

Before you can begin to choose the furniture for your restaurant, you'll want to know what type of furniture you'll need. To do this, you must know what your market is, who your customers are, what trend your restaurant fits and what your budget is.

I recommend: Restaurant Report can help you learn the market and trend your restaurant fits before you choose your furniture. Hub Pages offers tips on choosing the type of furniture your restaurant needs.

Learn what style of restaurant furnishings will match your overall theme

Restaurant furniture comes in many different themes. You'll most likely already have a decorating theme picked out for your restaurant, and you'll want to make sure that the style of furniture you pick will match. You can learn about the different styles of furniture available for restaurants, and pick the one that will match your design theme.

I recommend: Home Portfolio offers an introduction to learning furniture style. Furniture First offers a quiz to help you find the right style of furniture.

Learn how to choose the right restaurant furnishings for your establishment

Restaurant furnishings include more than furniture. Look for education and training opportunities about lighting, tableware, window treatments and other decorative items to furnish your establishment. You'll want to learn what furnishings will work for your restaurant, and how to properly set up your furnishings. Consider training sessions or informational links to provide you with the education and training you need.

I recommend: Codale Electric Supply offers training classes on how to choose decorative lighting, energy saving lighting and fixtures and ballasts. Classes are one to two hours, so it's easy to fit into your day. Style for Success is a great informational website that teaches you the proper way to set a formal table.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Once you've learned everything you need to know about choosing furniture for your restaurant, you can start researching where to find restaurant furniture for sale.

Furniture for restaurants can encompass a vast variety of types and styles. By learning about commercial restaurant furniture, you can outfit your restaurant or foodservice business with the latest restaurant furnishings and still maintain your own unique style of decorating. From diner furnishings to fast food restaurant furniture and foodservice furnishings, you can find the right restaurant furniture for sale by knowing more about what you need to look for when you are ready to purchase.

Restaurant furniture suppliers come in many types and depending on what style of restaurant you choose, you can utilize their knowledge and experience to choose your own style of restaurant furniture. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Purchase bistro furnishings for a European look.

2. Learn about the ease of use in fast food restaurant furniture while still keeping your sense of style.

3. Consider the possibilities with outdoor restaurant furniture for a unique dining experience.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy bistro furnishings for European styled flair

You can maintain a sense of European style when ordering bistro furnishings. These are ideal for an outdoor patio or outside seating and can showcase a café terrace. These are perfect for cafes that have a lot of European patrons.

I recommend: American Country offers bistro furniture made in France for an authentic look. Bistro Tables and Bases offers bistro bases for tables, as well as a variety of outdoor furniture.

Utilize fast food restaurant furniture in your own fast food restaurant

Fast food restaurant furniture can come in many styles and types so you art not limited to what you may consider to be the same style you see in all fast food restaurants. Many fast food restaurants are changing their styles to reflect the current trends. You can still be unique while saving costs on that style of furniture.

I recommend: 1st For Furniture has a variety of fast food furniture offerings and Millennium Furniture has a gallery of the different styles of fast food furniture that they carry.

Equip your restaurant or diner with outdoor restaurant furniture

Outside dining allows your patrons to have a different dining experience where, depending on your location, they can enjoy an ocean view or a busy sidewalk. The choices are unlimited. This also frees up space for customers having to wait to be seated. As long as the weather is permitting, you can seat more customers and allow them to have a more unique dining experience with outside restaurant furniture.

I recommend: Fashion Seating has an entire section devoted to outside restaurant furniture and Restaurant Bar Furniture does as well.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you plan to purchase outdoor restaurant furniture, check for durability in various weather conditions.