Choosing the right tables for your dining area can make the difference between a roaring success and an embarrassing failure. They serve a functional purpose since they are the surfaces that the requested items will be placed upon, but they also have some aesthetic value that can’t be ignored either. There are a lot of things that you need to consider when trying to decide on what tables you want to decorate your restaurant with, so let’s dive straight into it!
The first thing that you need to consider here is how big your restaurant is. Real estate prices are at an all time high, and so to are rents. Hence, it is fairly likely that you would need to dial your ambitions back a bit so that you can make do with what you can afford. However, using a small dining area does not necessarily mean that things will be cramped. You can find tables that would work brilliantly with compact spaces, starting by going for the right shape.
Generally speaking, square and rectangular tables will serve your needs well in this regard. They can be positioned closely to each other with specified seating areas around each of the edges. Four customers can be comfortably seated on a square table, and there won’t be any chance that they might accidentally bump in to each other thereby causing some embarrassment.
Rectangular tables can also be a great choice here. They’re ideal for restaurants that are trying to cater to larger groups, such as family oriented establishments. Tables that are rectangular in shape offer many of the benefits of square tables, but they are also a fair bit longer which helps you service groups that contain between six to ten members.
Of course, you can also simply pair up square tables for sizable groups of customers. That’s just one of the many things that make them a popular choice in the restaurant industry, and it helps to go for lightweight models so it can be easier to shuffle them around.
Whatever you do, just make sure that you have ample space between all of the tables. Not only will this create straight paths for your servers to follow as they deliver meals to your patrons, but it will also enable your customers to dine with a decent amount of privacy at their disposal.
Now, does all of this mean that round tables are never going to be a good choice? We would say that it largely depends on the size of your location. Larger spaces can use rounded off tables to great effect, and they can even seat as many as six customers rather than the standard four.
They’re excellent for restaurants that are going for a more casual vibe. While square tables generally enhance intimacy, round tables have the opposite effect in that they create a more laidback atmosphere that many customers tend to look for.
You should also really think about what materials you want the tables to be made out of. Each material comes with its fair share of pros and cons, and we would say that all of them can work wonders for you so long as you do your due diligence before buying them!
We are going to begin by talking about laminate tables. These are generally found in budget eateries due to their low cost of purchase. Granted, they won’t work well in high end eateries that are meant for upscale diners.
But for fast food places and low end sit down establishments they can really be a solid option that’s worth taking a look at. Laminate topped tables are really easy to clean too, which can save your workers several hours that they may have otherwise had to spend scrubbing the tables after they close their doors.
Now, what about metal tables? Well, they can be great as well thanks to how durable they are. As long as you give the table a quick wipe down after all of the customers leave and avoid using vinegar or leaving moisture on the surface, metal tables can last you years on end. They also have a very modern vibe associated with them, so you can see why they populate so many upscale restaurants that are in your local area.
Rather than selecting a single table type, we would suggest that you purchase several different models so that you are never prevented from keeping customers as happy as can be. Smaller tables are great for date nights and small groups, but if you want a more communal atmosphere, you will need some elongated rectangular tables that can be brought out as well.
The final thing to factor into the equation is your budget. No matter how amazing a set of tables might seem, they’d be next to useless if you can’t afford to by them! Figuring out what type of budget you are working with can help you narrow down your options, which will subsequently make the choice far less overwhelming than it otherwise would have been.
While we will definitely understand your desire to save as much money as possible, try not to be too cheap about these purchases. The more affordable the table, the more likely it will be to get scuffed up and damaged before you can extract as much usage from it as you would have preferred. That’s not to say that you need to spend thousands of dollars for a single table, of course. All we are trying to say is that locating a balance that gives you the best of all possible worlds will make the perfect restaurant tables pretty obvious to you, and you can buy them without further delay.
