Buying Bar Stools For Your Cafe? – Here Are 3 Factors You Really Need To Consider

A well chosen bar stool can add another dimension to your cafe, bistro, or restaurant. Aside from this they’re a great way of maximising your seating when you have limited floor space. For these reasons bar stools are understandably popular. However, before you go out and splash the cash, here are 3 factors you really need to consider.

Height

Commercial grade bar stools come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 45cm chair height stools up to 105cm bar height seating, therefore it’s important to ensure that you purchase the right size seating for your needs. In order to attain the most comfortable stool height for people it’s important to have somewhere between 25 and 35cms of height between the top of the stool and the bar. This ensures that when customers sit on the stool they won’t be hitting their knees on the top of the bar/table. Therefore measure the distance from the floor to the table/bar and then subtract 25-35cms, The difference should equate to the size of bar stool you need to buy. Simple when you know how!

Spacing

Understandably you want to maximise your space/bar area as best as possible but at what point do too many stools become way too close for comfort? Ideally you need to leave around 50-60cms of space in between bar stools. This will leave sufficient space for eating, drinking, and general socialising without the customer feeling overcrowded. In addition it allows sufficient room for customers to get on and off the stools without disturbing or bumping into others. Top tip – If you’re buying bar stools with swivel seating or those with arms, then look to allow 60cms minimum.

Commercial rating

While it’s understandable that most cafe owners looking to refurbish are wanting to do it at the best possible price, it probably isn’t wise to buy a job lot of bar stools from the local flea market, unless of course they’re commercial grade. Commercial grade furniture has been tested and passed fit for use in commercial environments such as busy cafe’s, bars, and restaurants. They’re rigorously tested and are fit for the purpose they’re designed for. On the contrary residential-grade furniture is designed to be used in a home environment only. It doesn’t need to be super strong because it’s likely to only get a fraction of the use. So yes you might be getting yourself a bargain, but if it isn’t commercial grade, then it’s fair to say that it isn’t money well spent.

So there you have it! If you follow these 3 key factors, the you really won’t go far wrong.

Here at Cafe Solutions we have a great selection of commercial-grade bar stools available for you to browse and buy. So why not log on and take a closer look. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed.