5 Tips for Picking a Restaurant Furniture Supplier You can Trust

Making a big furniture purchase for a new or remodeled restaurant is an important investment; knowing what to look for is the key to finding the right vendor.

How can a restaurant owner seeking to buy furniture for his establishment check whether a furniture vendor can be trusted to provide high quality goods? The key to finding a good furniture vendor is asking the right questions. The following is a list of tips about asking a prospective furniture vendor the right questions to ensure you will be pleased with your restaurant furniture purchase for years to come.

1) Is your furniture made for commercial use?

Furniture that will serve you perfectly well for home use is not necessarily suited to use in a commercial environment. Furniture in a restaurant, bar or other similar establishment in the hospitality industry must be able to withstand an extremely high rate of use, well beyond the rate of use for furniture in a residential environment. In order to ensure that the furniture you are buying is built to withstand the everyday rigors of use in a restaurant, choose a vendor that specializes in making furniture for commercial use. These firms will use better materials and properly reinforce the areas of highest stress to ensure that their furniture lasts.

2) Is your furniture tested for strength and durability?

There is no better way to ensure that the furniture you are buying fits industry standards than having it tested for strength and durability. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA) has a variety of tests to make sure furniture complies with industry standards. Ask your vendor if his furniture is BIFMA approved.

3) Do you provide a warranty for your furniture?

Find out if your furniture vendor offers customers a warranty against factory defects. The time-frame of the warranty will likely vary depending on the item. Compare the warranties offered at different vendors.

4) Can you send me samples?

Even if your furniture is built to withstand use in a commercial environment, if it does not match your venue, you will not be happy with your purchase. Therefore, it is important that a commercial furniture vendor be able to provide you with samples of fabrics, vinyl, metal swatches and wood finishes before you make your purchase so you can be sure you are buying the right items.

5) Where does your furniture come from?

Vendors that manufacture their own furniture, rather than simply importing it and selling it, tend to be more willing to take pride in, and stand behind the product they provide. Ask your vendors about the manufacturing process in order to know what kind of craftsmanship goes into this major investment that you are making.