There are several elements that go into the comfort of a commercial restaurant chair or barstool.
Along with the size and material of the seat, the type, size, material, and style of a back also greatly affects its comfort and suitability to different purposes.
An occasional chair, like BFM Seating’s Maze Series, used in an area where patrons will be perhaps waiting for a table or possibly enjoying a leisurely drink in a relaxed setting, may have a seat that is larger front to back and a back that has more of an angle, allowing its occupant to lean back in comfort. This chair may also have a higher back that can support the neck and head. A design of this sort is not meant to be pulled up to a table for dining though, as the customer will need to sit on the front of the chair and will lose the support of the back when eating.
Pictured Above: Maze Restaurant Chair Outdoor Collection by BFM Seating
Well-suited dining chairs should have a back with little or no angle so as to offer support while dining. The depth of the seat and the height of the back are not nearly as important as the support it provides to the lower back while eating. The longer the patron is expected to be in the chair, the more important the back will be to their comfort.
Having arms on any sort of restaurant chair can add to its comfort and movability but will also give it a bigger footprint in your establishment.
Barstool backs have even more options since along with high and low backs, and different angles, you also have backless stools. Since most bar patrons tend to lean forward on the bar, the back is not usually as important, although in some club venues or cocktail lounge settings an upholstered back may be called for.
There’s a lot more to choosing seating than what a piece looks like or how much it costs. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to “test drive” a seat before purchasing.
I’ve been writing about restaurants for more than three decades. (Note that I do not give an exact number.) Over the years, chefs and restaurateurs have passed on to me what passes for restaurant wisdom, the tricks of the trade as it were. What do you think?
Restaurant Secret #1 —The 45- minute Chair: You’re Outta Here
The perfect restaurant chair is one that seems immensely comfortable for 45 minutes. After that point, you can’t wait to get out of it and they can give your table to the next party. Think Finca.
Restaurant Secret #2 — Decibel Level: Too Loud to Linger
A restaurant should be loud enough to indicate this is a happening place (nothing’s worse than the silence of a dud) but quiet enough to talk but loud enough to get tired of talking against the racket but not so loud you’ll never go back. Can you hear me,
Restaurant Secret #3 — Eating in the Dark: Can You Taste What You Can’t See?
Our senses are connected and we’re light- loving creatures. Dark restaurants are romantic—right up to the point where you can’t stand it. Tuscany gives diners lighted menus.
Restaurant Secret #4 — The Right Breadbasket: Fill’em Up
Low cost, long shelf life—bread can make a big first impression for cheap. This is a place where restaurants often cut corners or stop paying attention—how many times have you been served bread straight from the fridge?
Restaurant Secret #5 — Avoiding Sticky Fingers: Salt and Pepper Shakers
Restaurant designers want them to be cool enough to suit the space; not so cool everyone will take one home. Bambara learned this the hard way when it kept losing it’s funky S&P shakers to light fingered diners.
Restaurant Secret #6 — The Signature Drink
Liquor pays the bills. These days, every restaurant must have a signature drink. Preferably pink, like the Alamexo margarita with jamaica.
Restaurant Secret #2 — Every Menu’s Sweet Spot
We’re not talking dessert. Restaurateurs know that most people tend to look at the top right of a menu first, and that’s where they often put the items with the biggest profit margin or the one they want to sell the most. The top of the list, the bottom of the list and anything with a picture also tempt diners.
Restaurant Secret #2 —The Margin –Your Caesar Salad, for example, makes the aged prime rib affordable. Caesar ingredients are inexpensive, but the result is impressive and worth way more than the raw cost. That allows a restaurant to take a lower margin on a dish that otherwise might be too rich to serve.