A Buyer’s Guide to Restaurant Furniture

Your restaurant furniture is not just about providing a place to eat and sit, the quality and comfort of your furniture can dictate everything from customer satisfaction to operational efficiency. 

When customers dine in your restaurant, they aren’t just looking for delicious food and excellent customer service, they also want to feel like they’ve had an experience. The furniture and interior design of your restaurant are the biggest factors in providing that unique and enjoyable dining experience. 

Below, we’ll answer some FAQs about buying restaurant furniture in the UK and how you can make sure you’re getting the best for your budget. 

Where to buy restaurant furniture in the UK

In order to get the most for your money, it’s recommended that you purchase new furniture from a reputable contract furniture supplier such as Warner Contract Furniture, to ensure you’re meeting all regulations and standards. 

It’s always best to chat with your supplier on the phone so you can ask them anything you might need to know. Each supplier may operate in a slightly different way, so it’s important that you gauge how they work to see if they’re a good fit for you and your business.  

What is restaurant furniture and why is it different from regular furniture?

You may be wondering “Can’t I just nip to a normal furniture shop to get my restaurant furniture?” and the answer is no. When it comes to restaurant furniture, you need to make sure all of your pieces are up to code. 

There are a lot of regulations around commercial furniture, especially if it is going to sustain heavy use by the general public. Not only will your furniture need to meet strict fire safety regulations, but it needs to be strong enough to be used regularly and not run the risk of injuring your customers or your staff. 

Commercial and contract furniture is specifically designed to be more durable, which in turn offers you longer warranties, usually between 5-10 years, compared to the 12 months you’ll get with domestic furniture. 

Finding the right restaurant furniture to meet your budget

Commercial and contract furniture is more expensive than domestic furniture because of all the health and safety standards it needs to be able to meet. As we said, it’s also built to last much longer than domestic furniture. 

This means your restaurant furniture is an investment. Like any business investment, you have to make sure it will offer you the very best ROI. 

Some things to think about when planning out your budget for new contract furniture are: 

• How busy your restaurant is and when your peak times are – this will help you not only ensure you opt for the perfect amount but also determine how much wear and tear your new furniture will sustain.  

• Use your expected revenue as a benchmark for your budget – you don’t want to take budget away from essential expenses, but you also don’t want to opt for too cheap furniture that will not withstand the usage you’re looking for. 

• Calculate what the long-term value will be – think about your budget within the context of the next 5-10 years and how much your furniture will cost you each year or even each quarter.  

• Plan in extra budget for maintenance costs – good quality furniture won’t need as much maintenance as lower quality furniture, so if you’re trying to decide between a higher price item and a lower price item, think about how much you might need in additional maintenance costs.

• Establish clear ROI metrics – how will you determine the return on investment you’ll get from your restaurant furniture? Decide how you’ll measure the performance of your tables and chairs, whether it be how long they last, how long they stay looking as good as new or how it increases customer satisfaction.  

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Take C.A.R.E when choosing your tables and chairs

We know it can feel somewhat overwhelming at first when you’re trying to choose the right furniture for your restaurant. There are so many different shapes, sizes, finishes and designs that could be perfect, but how do you make the final decision? 

We’ve put together our own acronym to help remind you of the essential factors to consider, C.A.R.E (Compliance, Affordability, Reliability, Efficiency). 

Compliance 

Within the UK there are a number of compliance rules and regulations. Here are the ones you’ll need to consider when investing in tables and chairs for your restaurant. 

Fire Safety Standards

• Upholstered furniture must meet BS 7176 standard, ensuring a reasonable level of fire retardancy.
• Fabrics must pass the BS EN 1021-2 test, with Crib 5 (test source 5) being the common requirement for hospitality environments.
• Upholstery must comply with CRIB5 (Ignition Source 5) standard, which is more stringent than domestic furniture requirements.

Material and Construction Standards

• Foam used in chairs must be combustion-modified high resilient (CMHR) to meet flame-resistant requirements.
• Table tops often use high-pressure laminates (HPL) for increased resistance to scratches and heat.
• Fabrics must pass the Martindale fabric abrasion test with a minimum of 40,000+ rubs to be certified as “contract” standard.

Safety and Durability Testing

• Furniture must undergo rigorous third-party testing by boards such as ASTM, ANSI/UL, and BIFMA.
• Tests include leg strength, backrest strength, stability, and drop resilience.

Labeling Requirements

• A permanent label must be attached to every item of new furniture (except mattresses and bed-bases).
• A display label must be fitted to furniture at the point of sale (with some exceptions).

Record Keeping

• The first supplier of domestic upholstered furniture in the UK must maintain records for five years to prove compliance.

Affordability

We’ve already spoken a little bit about what to consider when it comes to deciding on a budget, but it is possible to get high-quality furniture for more affordable prices, so how do you make sure you’re getting the best quality? 

• Research the contract furniture supplier and make sure to read reviews across different platforms, from Google Reviews to Trustpilot. 
• Ask upfront for warranty lengths and material breakdowns, so you know exactly what you’re getting and how durable your new furniture will be. 
• Decide on what you’re willing to compromise on and what you’re not. Whether it be design, colour or choosing between upholstered and non-upholstered. Decide what’s most important to you so you can make decisions easier. 

Reliability

If you own a busy family restaurant, you may choose more hard-wearing materials for your furniture, to ensure maximum durability. For example, our Trent Dining Chairs are perfect for heavy usage and are very comfortable to boot. 

However, for more fine-dining establishments, you might want something that is a little more sleek and chic, such as our Mimi Stacking Oak Armchair. Both offer the promise of durability, however, the different styles are best suited to different levels of wear and tear. 

Efficiency

When it comes to efficiency, you want to think about how portable, versatile and practical your restaurant tables and chairs are. 

It’s not only important your furniture complements your design and the flow of your restaurant, but it also needs to fit the behaviours of your customers. 

You may want to make sure that your tables and chairs are easy to move around and maybe even modular, so you can expand or decrease the seating capacity available. You will also want to ensure that both your staff and your customers can move around safely and without obstruction. 

In smaller spaces, more streamlined furniture may offer you more room to move around, compared to bigger or bulkier tables and chairs. 

How to customise your furniture or order bespoke restaurant furniture

The best part of purchasing your restaurant furniture from an established contract furniture supplier is that you’ll have access to a range of customisation features. This means you’ll be able to perfectly match your furniture to the overall design and feel of your business with ease. 

On our ‘bespoke’ range of furniture, you’ll be able to easily choose your preferred wood stain, frame colour or upholstery colour with just the click of a button. If you’re looking for something even more custom, such as banquette seating or the use of your own fabrics, you can fill in our ‘get a quote form’ below and let us know what it is you’re looking for.