8 Of The Best Cafe Furniture Tips and Ideas

Cafe furniture is arguably one of your most important considerations because:

  1. It sets the tone of your cafe

  2. It plays an important role in determining the ‘flow’ of your customers and your staff

  3. If your furniture is uncomfortable customers will not come back

We’ve put together some ideas to help you decide what kind of cafe furniture you need and where to put it.

Do not cram your customers in

If there’s one thing we learned simply from visiting numerous cafes, no-one likes to feel hemmed in. It can be tempting to squeeze another couple of tables in so you can cater for more people but it’s a big mistake to do so. Tables that are too close together make it difficult for waiting staff to move freely between tables and it also makes customers feel that everything they’re saying can be overheard.

Consider a communal table or booths

This leads on from the point above. If you’re looking to maximise your floor space then installing booths or using one or more communal tables could be a solution. Booths take up less space than tables and chairs and give your customers a feeling of privacy. Communal tables work really well alongside private tables for 2 and 4 people. They offer variety and options for your customers whether it be a solo diner, small group, or large party. Millennials in particular love the social buzz that’s created by communal seating.

Adding a carpet or rug gives a homely feel

Modern-day cafes can be extremely noisy places owing to their hard, reflective surfaces. If you have a communal table then why not place a rug beneath it to ‘centre’ it in the room and reduce your noise levels?

Avoid straight rows of furniture

Mixing up your tables and chairs makes for interesting seating arrangements and is more pleasing to the eye. You can also change the look and feel of your cafe by changing your furniture around periodically. Straight rows of tables and chairs, on the other hand, feel more like a prison visiting room and really isn’t very appealing.

Your furniture doesn’t all have to match

Unlike the coffee and restaurant chains, there is no need to fill your interior with matching furniture. Indeed, utilising a mix of styles and colours will give your cafe more personality, and a natural, homely feel. Be careful, however, to ensure that your colours complement each other and don’t clash as this could give your customers a headache:-)

Always buy commercial furniture

It can be tempting to choose domestic furniture as in most cases it’s cheaper. However, this is false economy since it won’t be as durable or long-lasting as commercial furniture which has passed a series of extensive tests to make sure that it’s fit for purpose.

Use any space outside your cafe

If your cafe has pavement space at the front then take advantage of it to advertise your brand and tempt passers-by. People love nothing better than sitting outside watching the world go by and the sight of a few customers sitting enjoying themselves will soon encourage others to join them.

Have fun

Above all have fun when decorating your cafe and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. A cafe that has been lovingly furnished and is full of character will stand out from others in the crowd.

At Cafe Chairs Melbourne we stock a wide range of cafe furniture from traditional to contemporary and in a variety of styles, materials, and colours. Why not visit our showroom to see for yourself or browse our online store?