Your choice of restaurant furniture could have a big part to play in keeping your customers close by, particularly if your venue is located within a largely residential area.
You might imagine many homeowners would love to live right next door to a good restaurant, but in fact figures from Ocean Finance reveal that as many as one in seven would be put off by viewing a property for sale, only to find an eatery occupying the adjacent building.
This still leaves a sizeable 86% of people who would not be put off from buying next door to a restaurant - but what can you do to ensure you do not do anything to increase that 14% proportion of naysayers?
First of all, make your dining environment as attractive as possible; as you are a non-residential property, your new residential neighbours are unlikely to feel so much pressure to 'keep up with the Joneses' by making their own home as stylish as your restaurant.
In contrast, by equipping your premises with the best restaurant furniture you can get, you can demonstrate your commitment to serving your customers well - and, in turn, send the message that you care about your neighbours too.
Keep a watchful eye on your outdoor furniture, if you have any; again, smart and modern chairs and tables help to convey the right message to any passing househunters.
Perhaps most importantly of all, be quick to retrieve any chairs that go astray, perhaps because they are dragged away by overactive children, or knocked over by inebriated diners or other passers-by.
You don't want these to end up outside the property for sale or, even worse, land in its front garden.
Why go to all this trouble? Well, it's the old principle of keeping your friends close, and your customers closer; a lot of restaurant custom is achieved simply thanks to passing footfall.
The people who live closest to your establishment are the most likely to pass it most often on foot, so treat them with some courtesy and thoughtfulness, and you should reap the rewards in your bottom line.