So, we’ve put together some thoughts for you, as a pub or bar owner for items to consider when choosing your pub bar stools.

Style
It goes without saying that you will be on the lookout for a bar stool which works in harmony with the décor of your venue. There are some other extremely important factors to consider which we’ll move onto, but you need to love the way the stool looks and it needs to fit in with your style.

If you’re a pub owner with a more traditional interior, then perhaps you’ll want to think about pub bar stools featuring dark woods to compliment your bar area. However, if you’re furnishing a contemporary space, gastro pub or restaurant, you might be on the lookout for aluminium, metal or leather stools for example.

Safety and durability
As with all contract furniture, you have to remember that your pub bar stools may be sat on by 20 different people or more per day. So it’s extremely important to make sure you buy contract bar stools as opposed to domestic versions and that they aren’t fragile or weak. They must be extremely durable and must not be easy to tip over. As a bar owner, you have a health and safety responsibility and so if one were to tip or break and a customer were to injure themselves (and remember, some of your patrons may have had a shandy or two), you could have a huge issue on your hands!

Comfort
Pub bar stools give your customers the opportunity to rest their weary feet and so the last thing they will want is to sit on something uncomfortable! Really think about what you’re buying in terms of whether or not you need a backrest and/or a footrest. Is your pub bar stool upholstered or just plain? It’s important to take all of these items into consideration when making your purchase.

Size and height
Our last blog discussed the importance of maximising the space within your restaurant as well as the need to plan your venue layout. This also rings true when it comes to planning your bar area. Make sure you draw-up a floor-plan before you buy any form of furniture, ensuring you leave enough room for your patrons to get up and down and sit comfortably without knocking into others.

A standard bar is three and quarter feet high and the typical barstool is two and a half feet tall. So this leaves a difference in height of around 10 inches for your customer to sit comfortably. Much more or any less and patrons could feel squashed or like a child sitting on an adults chair.

Flexibility
Will you want to move your pub bar stools? You may have a space which is going to do double duty, for example a bar area in the day and then a dance floor of an evening. In which case you may need to buy stools which are easy to pick-up and move, stack and store.

Cost
There’s an abundance of pub bar stools on the market and as a business owner, cost obviously has to be taken into consideration. You have a responsibility to your customers and so you just need to think about cost in conjunction with the style you’re looking for and the durability and safety required to ensure your venue is as safe as possible. Certain materials will last longer than others and the credibility of the manufacturer obviously comes into play here.

As you can see, buying a pub bar stool isn’t as simple as one might think. There’s a number of really important factors to consider before your purchase!

First impressions count

To drive home the illusion of making your front of house space look bigger, choose light paint colours and any fabrics. Remember, this is the first area your potential diners will see and if from the outside looking in, they aren’t taken, they may decide to carry on walking, not even stepping foot inside. It’s important to make sure your restaurant furniture is in good condition with your finest pieces nearest the front – Paying customers will not be enticed by old beaten chairs and scratched table tops.

Size really does matter

Different venues and brands all have different needs and won’t all want to portray the same vibe. For example, in an informal setting or fast food establishment, throughput is extremely high, whereas at the other end of the spectrum your fine dining establishments promote a long and exquisite environment and so the layout of these venues will be entirely different.

Within the latter, you can bet your bottom dollar customers won’t want to be packed in like sardines. It’s important diners feel comfortable in their surroundings and for you create an atmosphere that is open, friendly and spacious — even if your venue isn’t made up of the square footage of your dreams. Whereas in a fast food environment you can afford for the distance between tables to be closer and less comfy. Banquet seating works particularly well in this type of venue.

Obviously the size of your venue will dictate how many diners your venue can comfortably seat. However, it’s recommended that each diner is given about 600mm in width, with diners each being separated by at least one person’s width. It’s advised that there should be around 700-800m of space between restaurants/walls to ensure your customers have enough space to comfortably push their chairs back and walk through the venue.

Plan before you buy
It’s so easy to get overexcited and race ahead and buy your restaurant furniture before you’ve really thought about what you’re trying to achieve and what will work best for your space. For example, do you only need tables and chairs? Or, is there a bar area where your customers can enjoy a drink before their meal. If so, bar stools will maximise the space around this area or perhaps sofas, tub chairs or armchairs to invite guests to chill-out in a specific area.

You don’t need to be an architect or interior designer to plan your venue but it’s vital you put pen to paper before buying your restaurant furniture and this also applies to refurbishments too. Simply draw an outline of your room/s including the location of the kitchen, entrance, toilets, bar area and even any pillars or stairs. Use this as your template, make a few photocopies and then scribble to your heart’s content trying as many different layout combinations as possible.

Plan around tables, not chairs
You will have seen from our last blog that it’s really important to make sure you have enough tables for two. Tables for 4 or more will undoubtedly have some diners on, but they won’t always be filled, which can mean a lot of empty chairs and therefore a waste of valuable space. A smart restaurant layout will include a variety of table sizes; lots of smaller tables (which of course can be combined to make larger tables anyway), four person tables for families and a couple of larger tables for group bookings. The best layout is one that is flexible and can be altered to your customer’s needs.

A final point to make here is that it’s really important to cater for those with additional needs including parents requiring high chairs and wheelchair users.

If there’s one point you take away from this blog, it’s to make sure you plan….plan, plan and plan some more. Think about your brand and what you’re trying to achieve and what kind of tables and seating will owe themselves to this type of environment.

Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days in any restaurant, hotel, bar or café. Couples descend in their dozens looking to spend some quality time together in their favourite eatery or watering hole. To ensure your customers have the best experience possible, have you thought about the layout of your venue and whether or not you have the most suitable restaurant furniture? Read on for our hints and tips on how to make sure your venue is Valentine's ready.

Some staggering numbers
Couples are set to spend a jaw-dropping £958 million on Valentine’s Day in general. Spending peaks the Saturday before Valentine’s to 55% more than on the average day, booking restaurants, hotels and gifts etc. Statistics showed that in 2017, £287 million was spent on food and £69 million went on drinks. Dating activity soars by 55% as well – So the question is, how can you make the most of these ready and willing customers?

Table for two sir?
Who wants to go for a romantic meal for two only to be allocated a table which seats four or more? Valentines is about intimacy and if you’re sitting a million miles away from your partner it just doesn’t create the desired atmosphere. Chairs and tables play such a central role in establishing the tone of your restaurant and the experience of your diners.

If you’ve got extra restaurant furniture stored away, bring out the tables for two and temporarily store your bigger tables away. Failing that, consider purchasing some new tables for two to ensure your venue is geared up for your awaiting customers.

Ambiance
When you picture a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, it wouldn’t be full of bright lights and stark design. Instead, the lighting would be warm and low with candles and flowers scattered around tables. Reds and autumnal tones immediately spring to mind which will create the perfect ambiance for this particular day.

Music can also set the tone for your customers so make sure you choose music which fits the desired mood. Your music should suit your brand and your décor but certainly on Valentine’s Day we’d stick to chilled, slow music rather than loud upbeat tracks.

Comfort & durability
Your customers will want to be comfortable and there’s so much choice of seating and different tables it can often be somewhat confusing. Make sure you not only choose the most appealing designs for your restaurant furniture, but also the most comfortable and durable. Contract furniture differs so much from domestic pieces which may only be used up to three times per day. However, furniture within a restaurant, café, pub, bar etc. could be used up to 15 times daily. Therefore, it needs to withstand constant use. Who would want to sit on a wobbly old table on such a special day?

Don’t miss the opportunity
As you can see from the earlier statistics, Valentine’s Day is extremely popular as people want to spoil their loved ones and are very willing to spend their hard-earned cash on meals, drinks and gifts.

As a venue, there’s so much you can do to gear up to Valentine’s Day to make sure you get as many customers as possible through the door. So, if your venue isn’t prepared for this period, make sure you start now. Nobody would want to turn customers away and you want them to have the best experience possible.

For a WHOPPING 50% off tables for 2, click on the link below or contact us now on 01452 336520 or email sales@eclipsefurniture.co.uk

1) Furnish Interior Designs

2) Concept Interior

3) Barnbury

Barnbury are a Gloucestershire based interior design company – their showroom is home to a range of lighting, furniture and fabrics, all of which can be purchased through their online store. The company is headed up by Jonathan Sellwood and Jonathan Parkin who both have a wealth of experience with everything from barn conversions to hotels.

4) Raw Design

5) Helen Stubbs Interiors

6) Chameleon

7) Completion

8) Beltaine Designs

Redecorate To Increase Outdoor Area Appeal

First things first, if you want your outside area to look the business, then you have to take care of business. That means re-varnishing your wooden tables and benches or investing in new dining products, getting new menus printed and checking your condiment boxes and other table accessories to see whether any replacements are necessary.

Embrace Table Décor To Create An Enticing Atmosphere

Next you need to decided how to compliment the ambiance of your interior premises with your outside presence. Most restaurant owners prefer their areas to look identical in terms of table décor, while outdoor bar areas tend to be scarce in terms of décor, but if you are feeling adventurous then this is your chance to experiment. Check out the next few slides to see how giving each table it's own personality may be just the thing that draws your customers back again and again.

Utilising 'Home-Made' Style Decorations For A Rustic Feel

If your bar or restaurant has a rustic, homey feel then you could transfer this to your outside area by choosing a rustic style flower pot to put on your tables. Each table could match or have a mix of two or three blooms on alternating tables. You could also consider using plastic flowers in order to reduce spending costs, but using real flowers gives the area that personal touch that could make all the difference.

Quirky Décor Additions For A Modern Twist

If you are looking for a more modern design, you could consider creating plenty of space and simplicity, with an added quirk here and there. To make your outside area really different you could invest in some small booklets that offers interesting facts or stories; particularly about your location and the area, or you could add an extra quirk by providing brain teasers that will keep your customers there even when conversation has died.

Provide Kids' Activities For A Family-Friendly Feel

Summer is here and that means the children have time off from school. Parents will want to spend time out of the house, meeting with other parents without the fear of chasing their children around a busy outside bar area. Providing summer themed games or colouring packs to keep the children occupied will give your customers a laid-back experience that will have them coming back again and again.

Utilise Shelter & Low Lighting For Outdoor Atmosphere

Though we hate to admit it, not everybody loves Summer; so having tables that are fitted with sun umbrellas is a fantastic way to satisfy everybody's temperaments; it's great to offer your customers the choice between basking in the sun and enjoying the summer without sizzling.

Summer also brings the extension of customers sticking around after a meal to enjoy each others company, which is great news for your bar and restaurant tab. During Summer, people are more likely to mosey outside and continue their evenings talking to one another over a drink or two, so choosing the right lighting could be the difference between scaring people off and extending their time on your premises. Choose low lighting that will create an ambiance, while investing in outside lamps rather than wall lights could, once more, add another layer to the overall appeal of your area.

Create Seasonal Menus For A Unique Draw For Customers

When people visit a bar or restaurant during the summer months they are expecting new and exciting cocktails and dishes to be available. Food and drink that gives that summer feeling will automatically spark interest and have your customers flocking to try your tasty delights. So read up on your summery drinks and food to spend a Summer overrun with customers!

Maximise External Advertising To Improve Brand Visibility

Done properly you could even increase the return of your customers with clever advertising. You don't want to bombard your customers with new deals and in your face adverts, instead having adverts cleverly placed around the outside of your building, or spreading your deals through word of mouth is a great way to inform your customers of great deals that they can take advantage of.

Keep Your Staff Engaged In Outdoor Areas For Relaxing Atmosphere

When people are relaxing in the sun, the last thing they want is to have to get up mid conversation and wait in a long queue to order their food or drinks, to be followed by a long wait and running the risk of being forgotten; out of sight is out of mind, after all! We suggest having a dedicated waitress for you outside area. That way everyone receives a fabulous service without putting any hassle on the customer. It will also mean a quick turn over as once a table has left; retrieving glasses (which you will most likely run short of) and getting the table set up and ready for the next group of customers can be done quickly.

To be the business you need to take care of business. To invest in high quality outside furniture that looks great, take a look at Eclipses wide range of beautiful and functional products.