When buying furniture for your cafe or restaurant, you may think that cost is the main concern, rather than aesthetics. However, there are quite a few differences between cafe furniture and restaurant furniture, so it's important to know what to look out for. Here, we'll discuss the differences between each type and what to keep in mind when shopping around.

It can be said that cafe furniture will face more tests than restaurants every day because there will be customers standing and using indoor and outdoor furniture throughout the day. The hustle and bustle of a cafe are usually different from most restaurants, with people moving in and out at a rapid pace and sometimes delivery drivers coming in and out to take new orders.

Due to the fast pace of the cafe, the furniture does need to be overly upscale or upholstered. In this type of setting, practicality prevails, and if a commercial coffee chair is comfortable, accommodates someone, and isn't cheap to make, it's more than adequate. You can find high-quality furniture that fits this description without breaking the bank.

Cafe furniture tends to be lighter in color (though it depends on the aesthetic of the space) and more modern in design. You can generally class this as a more casual vibe, which is the type of vibe you'd expect in most cafes.

You'll also find that most cafes have smaller tables than what you might see in a restaurant. Modern coffee tables with finely veneered wood veneers and metal legs are commonplace, while traditional wood and cast iron designs are still used by many institutions today.

For customers who pop in for a cup of coffee or just need to sit for a while, bar stools around the service counter are a great idea. Communal tables have also become popular in recent years, allowing customers to share a large table (or join together several smaller tables), perfect for couples alone or even groups of two or three.

Customers who go to a restaurant go there with certain expectations. After all, eating out is a treat, even at a burger bar, so restaurant furniture needs to make sure they have that extra level of comfort. Of course, customer service and the food they eat will determine much of this, but their first impression will come from how the interior looks and feels after sitting down.

While restaurants don't get as much foot traffic as cafes, even the smallest establishments tend to be busy. So while comfort is important, the practicality must also be considered, as dozens of covers use the same dining room furniture throughout the day. Even upholstered dining room tables and chairs should be easy to clean and maintain, and able to handle spills and general wear and tear that are bound to occur.

Furniture in dining room spaces tends to be more classic in style, and this is often reflected in the color palette. The setting is usually more formal, so darker woods and metals are used to create a different vibe from a cafe.

Restaurant tables are larger than coffee tables to accommodate the type of food being served. The café mainly serves pastries and small snacks, while the restaurant serves large plates. Tables for four are also common, offering appetizers, desserts, and drinks, and one needs more people to enjoy what is on offer.

Many cafes and restaurants are using eco-friendly furniture for their premises. If this is important to you, it is best to look for restaurant and cafe furniture suppliers who can offer this option. For wooden furniture, this means the wood is taken from responsibly managed sources, and felled trees are replaced. Sustainable furniture is a good fit if it is central to your business theme, for example, if you use organic ingredients and promote healthy eating, it makes sense to extend your brand identity to every aspect of your cafe or restaurant.

When comparing cafe furniture vs restaurant furniture, there is no clear winner as it all depends on which one suits the type of venue you have. There is also some sort of intersection between the two. For example, if the restaurant is more casual, serving street food style food, the style of the furniture may be more relaxed and closer to the style of a cafe.

Likewise, a cafe looking to build a premium brand might spend money on the kind of chairs you'd normally find in a restaurant. So while you will find typical types of furniture in a cafe or restaurant, it all depends on the client's preferred style, budget, and requirements.

CDG is a professional custom restaurant furniture manufacturer with 16 years of experience. You'll always find a stylish piece of furniture for your project in our wide range of styles, including contemporary, vintage, industrial, rustic and more. Working closely with some of the world's most beloved brands and chains over the years, our reputation has been built on an uncompromising philosophy of quality. If you want to buy restaurant or cafe furniture, please contact us.