When it comes to buying new restaurant furniture, don't forget to invest in the best front of house furniture to make the right first impression on your customers.
Talk about renovating a house and someone will eventually mention kerb appeal - making sure the property is warm and welcoming on first arrival.
Yet people often don't put the same focus on making front of house furniture welcoming for diners from the moment they walk through your door.
At Trent Furniture we believe that from your reception desk and waiting area, through to your bar furniture and dining furniture, is all part of the same positive experience for patrons.
On arrival
Give your guests a clear place to stand while they wait to be seated, especially if there's no maitre d there to serve them immediately.
This not only gives them confidence about whether to wait or try to find a table of their own, it also prevents 'lost' customers from wandering through your dining area.
Of course the COVID-19 outbreak has heightened the risks involved with errant customers, but it's good practice at any time to keep them in the right places on your premises.
You don't need a lot of room to do this. Small front of house furniture can do a lot with a small space, especially when combined with an easily visible 'Please wait to be seated' sign.
While waiting
If a table is not yet ready for a particular diner or group, they will need somewhere to wait, so some kind of seating area is essential.
Many restaurants are likely to have an area set out with bar furniture where diners can order pre-dinner drinks while their table is prepared. This can be a great way to generate drinks sales whilst keeping early guests happy as they wait to be seated.
Options for smaller restaurant spaces
With smaller restaurants, it can feel uncomfortable for seated guests to have waiting patrons stood near their tables, so providing even a small waiting area is a good move.
Poseur tables
If you're working with limited floor space, you still have some fantastic options. Poseur tables are the tall tables you see in pubs and bars, and can be combined with elegant stools like our tall Napoli stool to give groups somewhere to perch for as long as required.
Adding comfort with sofas and armchairs
If you do have the floor space, consider adding sofas or armchairs to allow patrons to sit back and relax with a drink before their meal.
Our Chesterfield sofa
The Chesterfield sofa adds instant style to any seating area with its luxurious faux leather finish. We also have Chesterfield armchairs as well as two-seater and three-seater Chesterfield sofas, and our Berwick Buttoned Back Bench which is like a Chesterfield but without the arms at the ends.
This makes it more compact, for example to fit into an alcove or any space over 120cm wide and demonstrates how small front of house furniture can transform an unused corner into a comfy waiting area for guests on arrival.
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