When you order booths for your restaurant it can be overwhelming. There seems like a world of terminology, and different customizable options that you need to consider. Commercial furniture suppliers have a wide variety of booth styles, designs, and finishes, but there are some basic issues and elements that you should discuss with the supplier before settling on the type of booth table you want for your establishment. The most important thing to keep in mind is whether the booths will suit your restaurant’s overall look and feel.
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Booth Backboard Stitching
Ask your commercial furniture supplier about the different stitching options. You could have the backrest of your booths divided by channels of stitching running horizontally or vertically. You could even have button tufting where the padded backrest is divided into diamond-shaped sections by buttons. You will also have to decide what kind of finish you want along the edges of the vinyl or fabric. You could opt for a simple seam or piping.
Vinyl, Leather, or Fabric
You can choose to get plain wood restaurant booths or to have them upholstered in vinyl, leather, or fabric. Each one of these materials has its own pros and cons. Vinyl is easy to clean and maintain but is not as elegant or sophisticated as leather or fabric. Fabric and leather upholstery doesn’t last as long as vinyl, and it is harder to keep clean. But fabric and leather give the booth a fine dining feel and can elevate the look of your eatery.
What Type of Padding is Used?
Ask your commercial furniture supplier what kind of padding they use. The best seat and backrest padding is high-density foam specifically made for use in commercial furniture. Cheaper stuffing will eventually go flat from constant use, and you may have to get the booths repadded. So insist on high-density foam for commercial use.
What Legs Will Your Booths Have?
Booths can have a solid box base with no legs. The base can be wood or covered with the same fabric or vinyl as the rest of the booth. It can even be padded. Alternatively, there are booths with short metal or wood legs.
How High Do You Want Your Backboard?
Depending on the booth design you have chosen, you will have a choice of backboard heights. Before jumping in and ordering your booths consider the sightline across your restaurant. You don’t want booths with backboards so high that servers can’t see across the restaurant. Yet you want the backboards to be high enough to give customers a sense of intimacy and privacy when they sit in the booths. The height of the booths can also add to the atmosphere of the restaurant – do you want a more open, shared space, or to emphasize the separate booths as private spaces? Standard heights for booth backboards are usually 36”, 42”, or 48” inches high.
Do You Want a Crumb Strip?
A crumb strip is a 2” inch flat area along the back of the seat where it meets the backrest of the booth. This is convenient for cleaning up so food doesn’t get trapped between the padded seat and backboard of the booth. It is an added design element that you can look at and decide if it is for you.
What Dimensions Do You Need?
Booths come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Choose what suits your space and even get the booths customized to fit into awkward corners of the restaurant. The standard length of a booth varies between 31” and 48” inches and the height varies between 36” to 48” inches. But you can also get single booths, double booths, deuce singles, deuce doubles, wall benches, and benches built in a half or three-quarter circle. Remember to always ask about customization, and suiting the booths to your space.
Can You Get Booths To Match Your Other Restaurant Furniture?
Perhaps one of the most important questions to ask your commercial furniture supplier is whether the style and materials of the booths can be carried through to the other furniture in your establishment. See if you can get bar stools, chairs, and even a waiting bench in the same color and style as the booths you are ordering.
