Pizza Today - April 2019 - 28

(Americans with Disabilities Act)
requirements and room for your servers to maneuver," says Ryan Mitchell
of East Coast Chair & Barstool in
Mercer, Pennsylvania. The ADA
requires restaurants with tables to
have five percent, or at least one (if
less than 20 are provided) that are
accessible to guests in wheelchairs.
If your place is small and fitting in
as many guests as possible is essential,
opt for more tables and chairs rather
than booths. "Booths are great for
families, if you have the room, but
they can quickly eat up the space in
your dining area," Mitchell says. "One
way to have the best of both worlds is
to do a banquet-style booth that runs
along an interior wall and use smaller
tables that can be pushed together for
groups."
Also consider the type of flooring in your eatery. "If you have tile
floors, you might want to choose
wood-frame chairs over metal-frame
chairs," says Joanna Terry, director of
hospitality sales at National Business
Furniture. "Wood chairs aren't as loud
as metal chairs when sliding them
across a hard surface like tile." Metal
will reflect sound, while wood chairs
will absorb the noise. For carpeted
areas, either wood or metal chairs
would work.
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If you're updating only some of
your seating, check that the new
pieces will fit with the current selection. "As more furniture is designed
oversized to accommodate a larger
American population, you have to
take the dimensions of the chairs
and barstools into consideration
because they may not be the same
as your old furniture," Mitchell says.
If you decide to keep the tables your
pizzeria currently has and purchase
new chairs, make sure the pieces will
fit under the tables and not stick out
into the aisles.
LOOK AT YOUR CURRENT DÉCOR WHEN
DECIDING WHAT STYLE OF FURNITURE TO
GET. If you want a modern theme,

consider furniture that is sleek and
angular, suggests Haley. If the style
is more eclectic, try a few different
wooden chair styles that are similar
in size; then mix and match them
throughout the restaurant.
If you want to try out new colors,
opt for shades that are complementary to what you already have, advises
Linden. Tools like Paletton.com can
give you a clear, visual idea of what
colors will look like together.
Also, keep cleanliness in mind.
"Avoid seating with fabric upholstery," Terry says. For high traffic

areas, look for materials that can be
easily wiped off, like vinyl, metal,
plastic, laminate, and wood. Make
sure booths have a space between
the seats and backs where food and
crumbs can easily be removed.
"Furniture is an investment just
like any other equipment, and your
goal should be to get a good return on that investment," Mitchell
says. "Absolute cost is important,
but it isn't the only consideration."
Lower-priced pieces might need to
be replaced more frequently. Higherpriced commercial grade that lasts
five to seven years could be a better
deal in the long run. Booth seating
might be more expensive than tables
and chairs but can be customized to
fit your place's specific space.
Also look at how quickly the items
will show marks. "Overall, metal
framed seating is generally more economical and definitely more durable
for long-term use," Terry says. "Wood
framed seating can range from moderate to higher-end in terms of price
and will show wear more quickly."
Freight costs can have an
impact on the final price. If you order
furniture online, look to see what it
will cost to have it delivered. Getting
10 chairs with a freight cost of $100
increases the price of each chair by
$10. "With local dealers, the freight
is often factored into the price," says
Mitchell. You might have to pay $10
more per chair to start with, as well as
delivery fees or a truck rental to get
the items to your restaurant.
While there are many variables
that will lead to your final seating
choices, the result can be worthwhile.
Customers who are dining in a comfortable and stylish setting are more
likely to enjoy their meal and better
yet, come back for more. n
RACHEL HARTMAN is a freelance writer
who covers small business, finance and
lifestyle topics.
http://www.Paletton.com http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - April 2019

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