3 Reasons That Customers Prefer Booths

Many cafes and restaurants prefer to offer their customers a choice of seating options including chairs, bar stools, and booths. They also often feature a variety of table sizes and heights. This all contributes to ensuring your customers have a positive experience when they come to your café. Why is it, though, that many customers prefer booths over other styles of seating? But before we go into the whys and wherefores, what exactly is a booth? In café or restaurant terms it’s a type of bench seat which comes in a variety of lengths and configurations to seat several people at a time. Booths are typically made from wood with vinyl upholstery covering padded seats, which makes them extremely comfortable, and similar to sitting on a sofa. Many people find them to be more comfortable than chairs. It’s unusual for cafes or restaurants to provide just booth seating because having a variety of other table and chair options gives more flexibility, and not every customer wants to sit in a booth. When customers make a beeline for booths it’s usually for the following 3 reasons:
  1. Privacy – Booths are usually partially enclosed and offer more privacy than when sitting at a table on a chair. Booths can lessen the noise so that it’s easier to hold a conversation. Other customers like the intimate feeling of a booth and being able to sit that much closer to their friends and family. Families, in particular feel they have more control over young children when they’re within the confinements of a booth.
  2. Comfort – The next reason for choosing booths is for the comfort they offer. Since most booths are designed on similar lines to a sofa, customers enjoy sitting on a padded seat with a comfortable padded back rest as well. Also, some customers may feel more secure sitting in a booth because they can place items like handbags on the seat right next to them.
  3. Convenience– Customers often choose booths because of the fact that they are tucked away from the hustle and bustle of serving staff moving in between tables and customers pulling out their chairs as they come and go. If they’re sitting on the inside of the booth, then usually the waiter or waitress serves from one side only, so there is minimum disturbance should they be sitting trying to do some work in relative peace and quiet.
In general, booths make customers feel more relaxed and at home by having their own private space. If you’re on a date or you’re meeting a client, then a booth is always the best choice for the occasion. The main thing to consider is that your customers want to enjoy a positive experience which goes beyond the food and drink served.