Furniture manufacturers have designed restaurant furniture aimed specifically at cafeteria owners. This furniture often designed to seat more people at one table or the tables are designed to be easily pulled together to create larger tables for larger groups.

When arranging the cafeteria floor plan, consideration has to be given to being able to move the tables around to form larger eating areas. This could mean setting the cafeteria furniture up with ample walking space between the tables or leaving areas of the floor open to allow for expansion as needed.

Cafeteria furniture doesn’t have to be as stark and plain as school cafeterias from the past. The general idea is to be able to seat larger groups together for family style dinners. Tables are usually made without fancy embellishments or fancy table clothes but are simple, functional pieces of furniture made for the sole purpose of large groups.

Cafeteria furniture is also typically easy to store, which makes it easy to have extra on hand in the event it is needed. The chairs will usually stack on top of each other and can be stored in a closet while the tables will generally have folding legs.

Cafeteria Theme

Cafeteria furniture can add a unique flare to a counter service family-style restaurant by centering the theme on the cafeteria furniture. Cafeteria furniture can be found to recreate the ice cream parlors of yesteryear or the local diner of the 1950’s.

Cafeteria furniture should be sturdy enough to withstand frequent, heavy use. Cafeterias tend to be frequented by family groups which mean more children who have a tendency to climb on and generally be rougher to the furniture than other people. The chair cushions or material should be easy to clean and repair or replace should it become damaged.

Table tops should be easy to clean and withstand heat and liquid spills without damage. The material used to make the tables should also be sturdy and strong enough to withstand frequently be moved to accommodate the various size groups that frequent the cafeteria.

Although most people think of school lunches and hordes of children running rampant, cafeterias have become a popular restaurant choice in recent years as families return to eating together in large groups, particularly on Sunday afternoons after church.

Furnishing the cafeteria is simple, as the décor should be simple. Strong, well-made tables and chairs can be found in many commercial furniture catalogs or on the Internet that will last for many years and allow for many family dinners.

-Sharon V. Chapman