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Choosing the Right Dinnerware for Your Restaurant

Sep 27
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant, restaurant tips and advice

Selecting dinnerware for a restaurant is not quite the same as picking out dishes for home use. Here are some key factors to take into account when purchasing this vital component of your restaurant.

 

Successful restaurant owners agree that any establishment’s chance for success begins first and foremost with vision. A restaurant’s design, menu, branding and prices must be part of a cohesive plan. Bad planning and mismatched style will only serve to confuse patrons and chase them away. This planning includes often overlooked, but no less important components, such as restaurant  furniture and dinnerware.

A restaurant’s dinnerware is an essential part of the overall impression that a venue gives its customers. Being that dinnerware has a key role to play in both a restaurant’s style and function, there are multiple factors to take into account when choosing dinnerware for a restaurant.

For those first entering the restaurant business, a common misconception is that buying dinnerware for a restaurant is similar to buying dishes for personal use at home. This could not be further from the truth. Dishes that serve perfectly well for home use are not made to perform under the high stress conditions of everyday commercial use. Attempting to use regular dinnerware in a commercial establishment is a bit like trying to take the family station wagon to race in the Indy 500.

Dinnerware employed in a restaurant is used by dozens of people daily, banged about constantly, must withstand repeated washings in industrial strength dishwashers, and be able to withstand use in ovens, microwaves and on hot plates. Once a plate or dish is chipped, it must be removed from use in the restaurant.

For this reason, commercial dinnerware is generally more expensive than regular dishes for home use. Of course, there are a wide variety of commercial dinnerware choices, made from different materials in varying price ranges. The standard for commercial dinnerware is porcelain china, while some casual dining establishments might consider plastic dinnerware or even disposable ones. (more…)

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3 Tips for Maximizing the Space of a Small Venue

Aug 26
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant layout, Restaurant Seating Design, restaurant tips and advice

Designing a small restaurant or pub can require creative thinking to make the most of a limited space; knowing how to select the right furniture and layout is essential.

Small restaurants can have very big advantages for entrepreneurs, but can also present them with very difficult design challenges. A smaller venue brings with it lower costs and less overhead. The price of rent, as well as utilities such as heating and cooling, can be significantly lower. A much smaller wait staff and kitchen staff is also an advantage of a small restaurant or pub, and initial design costs will often be significantly lower in a smaller space.

Choosing the right layout and restaurant furniture for a small venue is essential to a customer’s impression of the establishment. A small venue done right can come across as cozy, intimate and comfortable, whereas a badly designed small venue will seem cluttered, crowded and unpleasant. The following are three tips on how to choose the right furniture and layout to make a restaurant or pub a big hit in a small package.

1) Utilize bar and counter seating

Bar and counter seating is a great way to get a lot of people seated at your establishment, while still offering wait staff and customers ample space to move around. A bar placed on one side of the room adjacent to the kitchen with high bar stools is great not only for spacing – it also can establish a venue as a place to congregate in the neighborhood. Customers who might normally just be ordering food and soft drinks are much more likely to order alcohol while eating at the bar, which will definitely boost profits.

Counter seating along the restaurant’s front windows is also a great way to save some space, and offer diners who value their privacy an appropriate seating option. Seating with a street view is pleasant for diners in your restaurant and can serve to pull foot traffic in from outside.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Install banquet seating

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Restaurant Furniture Styles

Jul 17
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant tips and advice

Use restaurant furniture to create a warm atmosphere while serving a function. Guests enjoy the style while staff appreciates easy maintenance pieces.

Restaurant furniture must be easy to care for, sturdy enough to handle a lot of use and maintain a good appearance. The type of restaurant setting in which it will be used will dictate the overall style as well as construction materials. Just as with home furnishings, there are many exciting options including banquettes, booths, chairs, table shapes and heights. Restaurant chairs may be constructed from fine wood, chrome, steel or a combination. Coverings include easy to clean vinyl and tightly woven cloth.

Restaurant furniture enhances overall style and can flow to adjoining areas such as lounges and outdoor patios. Floor coverings, curtains, tablecloths and wall colors should be taken into consideration when ordering fabric-covered pieces. Small, round, bistro tables with wrought iron chairs create an intimate setting, while family style restaurants often use a combination of dining booths and banquet or square tables to ensure adequate seating. Tall tables and backed bar stools are increasingly popular in restaurant/lounge settings.

Developing an overall seating plan and style prior to shopping for restaurant furniture will help business owners determine the best value for their money. Owners who plan to upgrade or replace a few tables or chairs at a time may benefit from sales or by choosing from lines that are considered open stock.
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Creating the Best Dining Experience with Restaurant Furniture

Jun 24
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant tips and advice

Nothing is more essential to creating an enjoyable dining experience than the restaurant furniture that has been chosen by that establishment for accommodating their customers. As no two restaurants are ever alike, neither are the different styles and types of furnishings used to complete the décor in them. Factors such as the atmosphere, class, ethnicity and style are critical to the selection of the type of furniture chosen to furnish that establishment.

There is, however, one common factor involved in the selection of that restaurant furniture where each of them is concerned and that is providing their patrons with a comfortable environment so their meal is more enjoyable. Therefore, it is necessary for the restaurant owner to have a basic understanding of these furnishings so they make an informed purchasing decision to the benefit of the customer.

In addition to the factors listed above, the type of restaurant furniture that is purchased will depend on the type of establishment it is being selected for. The following are some examples of the items currently available in the industry today.

Restaurant Dining Booths – Most restaurants will have these for seating a family of up to four or five persons on bench style seats. There are two types of booth seating. One is single or double sided while the other is wall-mounted. There are also custom made booths that come in various shapes and sizes but those are more expensive and less common. (more…)

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Restaurant Remodeling Tips

Jun 14
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant layout, Restaurant Seating Design, restaurant tips and advice

restaurant furniture and design

Restaurant remodeling can be very expensive but if you want the best there will be the need to pay for it. It can be done for less of a cost by choosing less expensive items but there are times when it will be best to buy long lasting items. This way there will be no need to have to go through kitchen remodeling for some time.

A remodeling can make such a difference to a restaurant and not least it can push up its revenue. However, in these hard economic times it’s not always a good idea to invest in a large, expensive remodeling.
Star off by deciding on a sum that you can realistically afford and see what is available for that amount. When remodeling, decide who it is being done for. If you don’t plan to expand your clientele base then you can invest in a minor change that will refresh the existing decor without having to spend too much and without having to worry that your customers will not like what you have done.

Decide how much needs to be done and then what order to do it in. If there needs to be a complete overhaul it will be best to start with the redevelopment before the new equipment is brought in. This could be a new floor or new furniture and in the worst case scenario may even need new pipes fitting.

Once the reconstruction has taken place it will be time to decide on the items you want and don’t want. With a restaurant remodeling there will be plenty of scope when it comes to choosing new items. There are certain things to keep in mind when remodeling a dining venue and one may seem very superficial but it will be best to see what kind of restaurant furniture your competitors are using. Another good idea is to ask your workers and your clients what furniture they would like to see in your venue and try to incorporate that into your new design. (more…)

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3 Tips to Make Your Restaurant Thrive in Tough Economic Times

Jun 07
Posted by Daniel in bar tips and advice, Restaurant Furniture

Great food is no longer a good enough reason for frugal customers to spend their hard-earned money. However, during times of economic crisis, people don’t necessarily have less money to spend. They are simply uncertain about the future and thus more concerned with building their savings until economic indicators give them the confidence that they are secure and safe to spend money.

A smart restaurateur, rather than seeing an economic downturn as bad for business, can see it as an opportunity to seize the market in a way others fail to. The following are some tips on simple things restaurant owners can do to make their establishments a sustainable success in good and bad economic times.

 

1) Maximize your space

Your clientele’s visual experience and comfort can go a long way in determining whether or not they become return customers to your establishment. While structural redesign of a space can be a costly outlay in times of economic crisis, there are more cost-effective ways to revitalize your venue. A smart investment in the right restaurant furniture can revitalize your space at a cost you can afford. You can put the money you save by not structurally remodeling into the type of marketing and promotion campaign that your competitors cannot afford. Don’t underestimate the importance of your restaurant furniture and layout. Make a long-term investment in good furniture and consult with experts who have experience in the field about what furniture is right for your venue.

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