When you need to choose café chairs for your café, you probably have some parameters in mind.
The chairs should go well with the interiors, with the number of tables and space that you have, should be easy to keep clean, and should be comfortable. They should also be within your budget.
Aesthetic appeal of café chairs
Most cafes have high customer turnover rates since many people do not sit around in cafes for too long. At the same time, they have to appeal to customers who need to sit comfortably. Unless your café has a tiny seating space, avoid going in for stools, unless they are with a bar or a high counter or table space, though bar stools and counters can maximize the use of space.
Having open-backed chairs gives a light and welcoming feel to the interiors. Try to have chairs that have a comfortable back. You can get lightweight chairs in wood, metal, cane, or plastic that can be aesthetically appealing as well.
Even the seats can have slats, increasing the feeling of openness. You can get them in many designs and colors to complement the tables and the décor of the room.
Durability
The café chairs should be durable because they see a lot of traffic. At the same time, they need to be easy to clean since food and drink are involved. Spills and stains should be quickly wiped off when necessary.
The kind of café chairs that you buy should be durable so that you have value for money. However, if you have an issue with one or more pieces, you should easily be able to buy replacements. The chairs should be usable inside and also outdoors if you have space. Outdoor chairs should be weather resistant but do keep in mind that sunlight may decrease the life of some materials.
Space considerations
If you have a large and roomy space, you may want to keep heavier and upholstered café chairs with the tables. Or you may have sofas against walls and windows and chairs in the other seating areas.
However, if you have less space, you may want a cozier feel and opt for smaller, but comfortable, chairs and tables that maximize the number of customers you can seat. If possible, ensure that tables and chairs can be joined for larger groups. For smaller spaces, lightweight chairs are a better bet.
Consider going in for stackable or folding chairs if space is at a premium. These can be put in one corner and taken out for use as and when necessary. Some chairs may be both stackable and folding. Most of the time these are made of metal and usually do not have arms. If you need chairs with arms then stackable chairs are an option.
Styles and comfort
You can choose from a range of chairs that are rustic, modern, trendy, or vintage. Again, this depends on the space that you have. If your café has a modern feel and menu, then lightweight and contemporary café chairs will be in trend and offer and warm, yet open feel to the café.
The chairs should be comfortable to sit on, so check on the comfort level of the chairs. Whether you want upholstered or cushioned chairs or not depends on how cozy you want your clientele to be.
If you expect people to be sitting around for a long time, then the chairs should certainly be comfortable. However, if you want to see a faster turnover, with customers sitting for a short while, then you opt for chairs without cushions, but that are comfortable nonetheless.
Final words
The right café chairs can encourage more customers to come in and sit and help make your café a customer-friendly space. Whether you are opening a new café or upgrading an existing one, keep all the above factors in mind before buying the café chairs.
Dariel Campbell is currently an English instructor at a university. She has experience in teaching and assessing English tests including TOEFL, IELTS, BULATS, FCE, CAE, and PTEG. With over a decade of teaching expertise, Dariel Campbell utilizes his knowledge to develop English lessons for her audience on English Overview.
