A Guide to Outdoor Cafe Furniture

Why you need purpose-built outdoor furniture

Choosing the right outdoor cafe furniture will allow you to open up new outdoor dining spaces, attract more customers and maximise revenue – all year round.

The best contract outdoor dining furniture is designed to be left outside without losing its looks, but your new cafe furniture may actually benefit from being brought in nightly and over the winter months in order to maximise lifespan. Most outdoor furniture is designed to be easily moveable and stackable for cleaning and storage.

Commercial outdoor cafe furniture

Commercial outdoor tables and chairs need to withstand good and bad weather, be strong and stable enough for public use and be comfortable for the majority of customers. Weight and durability need to be balanced with storage considerations, especially for smaller businesses.

For longer-lasting good looks, treated woods, robust plastic and powder-coated metals are the preferred materials. Look out for modern plastic furniture made from recycled materials too.

Some unpainted wooden and metal finishes are designed to weather attractively and special finishes are available for tougher environments like seafronts. Consider stainless steel or solid laminate for hard-wearing table tops.

How to choose outdoor cafe tables and chairs

Outdoor furniture comes in many different shapes and sizes; so define your priorities to identify materials that will work for you and then consider designs from those ranges. Modern materials come in a huge range of colours and finishes so take care of the practical concerns first and you’ll be able to have a lot of fun with design.

The right cafe seating for your restaurant

Traditional outdoor restaurant tables and individual chairs arranged in small groups allow you to move things around easily or clear the space frequently, making your outdoor spaces really versatile.

Large outdoor canteen tables are great for bigger crowds. Long tables can be combined with practical benches or high stools and many can be folded for easy storage.

Types of cafe tables

Options include sturdy tables with heavy concrete bases or lightweight options in plastic and metal that allow you to rearrange or store them as required. Choosing from round, square or rectangular tops can help to maximise seating space.

The classic bistro table comes with a marble top, or try brightly coloured, stackable modern designs in tough laminates or powder-coated metals. The best ranges allow you to mix and match them with pedestal bases or a choice of leg designs.

Consider stackable cafe chairs for maximum flexibility

Look for stackable chair options – perfect for pop-ups and they make it easy to clean up or arrange extra covers. Choose from woods or metals in hundreds of colours. Or consider long benches, or high and low bar stools, great for tight spaces.