Ergonomics of Restaurant Chairs and Tables
In today’s day and age, restaurant owners have more things to worry about other than serving their guests with good food and drinks. Most patrons today prefer their restaurant outlets to offer comfortable seating accommodations. With more people choosing cafes as their remote working spots, it has become fundamental for restaurant owners to consider the ergonomics of the chairs and tables placed on their premises.
You want restaurant chairs to be of appropriate height and correspond well with the height of the table. A chair too short or too long will make seating uncomfortable for visitors. With uncomfortable seating, you are simply turning customers away. It also doesn’t help that inappropriate furniture can contribute to your customers suffering from backaches and postural problems. So, its necessary you go for comfortable furniture like hotel furniture in Melbourne by Adage Furniture.
It is incredibly important to not ignore the height or ergonomics of a chair when you buy them for your restaurant. You want visitors to feel at home within your restaurant. That is only possible if you have chairs in place that facilitate comfortable seating.
So let’s look at how you can buy the perfect restaurant chairs and tables by simply considering their ergonomics.
The Ideal Height
Going by the numbers dictated by common ergonomics, the height ratio of the restaurant chair seat to the tabletop should 26 cms. Most restaurants have chairs that are commonly 50 – 76 cms from the floor, making them perfect to achieve the 26 cms ideal chair seat to tabletop height. The height is perfect to offer support to the lower half of a body, making seating and interacting with the table very comfortable.
The Space under the table
According to ergonomics, the gap underneath a table should be at least 12 cms, allowing enough room for legs. The pedestal and trestle tables of the past that did not harbor thick tabletops or railing on the top made it easier for people to spread out their legs. This is not the case with most tables today. As most modern tables come with side rails, tabletops that vary in thickness, and four legs, the space underneath the tables is less adequate.
The Design
Most tables today are either sold in rectangular or square shapes. You’ll rarely find circular tables being used in restaurants today as they are considered an obsolete design. Another reason why circular tables are not used anymore is because they eat up space. Plus, there is never enough space on the tabletop to accommodate utensils.
Square tables, on the other hand, can comfortably accommodate 2-4 people. There is enough space underneath the tables to rest legs and enough space on the top to place utensils with food and drinks. Rectangular tables are ideal for even larger gatherings. Large rectangular tables are a staple of family diners and can easily accommodate a group of 7-9 people. Rectangular tables can also be used to set up a buffet.
It is important to consider the ergonomics of your tables and chairs when buying them for your restaurants. When serving your guests, you want to offer them the best service possible. This is not possible if you have uncomfortable chairs to seat on or inadequate tables to dine on. With inappropriate restaurant chairs and tables, it doesn’t even matter how delicious the food is or how beautiful the décor of your spot is.
Suffice to say, you’ll do good for your restaurant if you cared about the ergonomics of your restaurant furniture.