Independent eateries can take on the role of being a 'community hub' with the right blend of restaurant furniture to serve the needs of local customers.
According to research from American Express, a significant proportion of Britons are keen to support independent businesses in their local area, from florists to restaurants, and every discipline in between.
Butchers are the most commonly visited independent business, with 35% of all UK consumers shopping at their local butcher either in addition to, or instead of, buying meat in a supermarket or other chain store.
Overall, however, a huge 85% of Brits prefer to shop and dine at independent establishments, and 70% would do so more often if they had the chance to do so.
Almost a quarter (23.2%) of those surveyed said independent businesses "act as a local hub, bringing residents to one place, encouraging community spirit".
While a retail outlet like a butcher or greengrocer has a certain amount of potential to achieve this, it is clearly more likely that venues like restaurants and pubs will create a sense of community and act as a hub for social events and casual meetings between residents.
As a consequence of this, you may wish to consider how well you are catering for different sizes of group, and different demographics, the next time you refresh your restaurant furniture.
Most eateries offer a mix of table sizes, and potentially of table types too, from private tables for two, to larger booths with sofas that can seat a flexible number of diners.
Consider how easily your chairs can be moved around, and how possible it is for you to increase or decrease your total seating capacity in line with your number of table bookings for each evening.
In relaxed environments, casual seating options like armchairs and sofas can be more acceptable to customers - and could help to reinforce the feeling that the venue is a social hub.
But in all circumstances, good restaurant furniture should be comfortable for diners of all ages, enabling you to maximise your number of repeat customers coming from your local area.