Cafe furniture primarily comprised of cafe dining chairs and coffee shop tables. You might also design bar seating in your cafe, so you would encounter bar stools. A lot of cafes also opt for fixed seating or banquette seating as both a visual feature and a way to maximise the number of available seats. Cafe dining chairs include side chairs (i.e. no arms) and armchairs while cafe tables consist of tops and bases, which are often ordered as separate items; the bases are almost always pedestals, which allows seating flexibility and freedom to craft your aesthetic. 

A cafe transcends being a mere culinary establishment Sure, at the heart of it it’s a place where the local community can come to get coffee, tea, smoothies, baked goods or an assortment of hot food - but it’s really so much more than that. It's a haven where people converge, share conversations and find a place to relax; or they encounter a bustling hub of creatives, entrepreneurs, movers and shakers working with good coffee and an inspiring environment. The atmosphere is key to the success of a cafe, and that includes the coffee shop furniture. It's a place where creativity flows, friendships bloom, and thoughts unravel. Cafes are a community hub where people come together.  Cafe furniture has the responsibility of enhancing these experiences, being a silent, albeit memorable, collaborator in every interaction.

There are many different styles of cafe interiors. We supply cafe furniture for everything from classic French cafes to modern coffee shops. If you’re digging a Scandinavian cafe furniture vibe we’ve got your back. Feeling a little quirky and want to design a cafe with retro, funky cafe furniture? Contract Chair Co. is the way to go. Well-chosen designs can completely transform an otherwise underwhelming space. Some of our most popular cafe chairs are wooden with a stickback or bentwood, although plastic cafe chairs are also popular for their durability and ease of maintenance. If we’re talking about cafe tables, laminate cafe table tops are popular because they are strong and can withstand a lot of wear and tear, and they’re low maintenance. Customization, especially in a cafe setting, is going to be key to crafting your aesthetic and identity. With coffee shops popping up all over the place crafting your own signature look will be as important as the kind of beans you use to brew your delicious espresso. 

Begin by defining your cafe's theme and atmosphere. Match furniture styles that resonate with your vision, ensuring a cohesive ambience. Colours and lighting play a significant role in the feel of your cafe, but you should also think about the shapes and weight of your cafe furniture as that will also have a strong impact on the visual appeal of your coffee shop. Of course, it’s not JUST about the aesthetic. Regardless of whether you want a rustic, vintage cafe or you opt for modern funky cafe furniture, you’ll want to make sure it’s robust and can stand up to a high volume of use.

Of course, budget is one of the main factors when designing a space. You need to make sure you have enough money to achieve the look you’re after. Once you’ve set a budget, a good place to start with your plans before buying commercial cafe furniture is deciding the number of covers. The number of covers will have an impact on the size of the cafe tables and may also affect your choice of chairs. Depending on the design, some chairs have a larger footprint, while others may not tuck under the table top, thus occupying valuable real estate in your cafe.

As an adept interior designer, creating a lovely, welcoming cafe environment involves meticulous planning. When you’re specifying coffee shop furniture focus on durability and quality. Since cafes are typically faced with a constant stream of visitors, the furniture must withstand wear and tear without compromising on style.

Now, moving on from aesthetics and onto practicality, it’s important to choose materials that are easy to clean and maintain. The frequency of cleaning should not overshadow the charm of the furniture. Cafe’s have a high rate of turnover with some guests staying for several hours while they sip on coffee and work on their laptop while others pop in for a quick hot drink and a chat and they’re on their way. Regular cleaning is required but you want to make sure your furniture can stand up to regular use and cleaning.

Cafe furniture is such a key component in the customer experience. There’s nothing quite like sinking down into a comfortable cafe sofa to sip on a steaming hot cappuccino. Cafe furniture enhances comfort and experience which will encourage customers to linger, and buy more of your food and drinks. It fosters loyalty and advocacy. Especially with an establishment like a neighbourhood cafe word-of-mouth is a significant part of getting people through the door.

This is a tricky task and one that requires special care. We recommend opting for furniture made from durable, easy-to-maintain materials that align with your design aesthetic. Functionality should complement form. It's also important to keep in mind things like what cleaning products you use as that will affect how your cafe furniture will age.

Absolutely! Many manufacturers have sustainable furniture options so you can create an environmentally conscious cafe space. On our product pages, you can look for the “green leaf” icon to find sustainable cafe furniture that we supply. We also include detailed information about what makes it sustainable in the product details when you open the product page.

Let’s face it, coffee shops see a lot of action. People are darting in and out all day topping up their caffeine stores, indulging in baked goods, or stopping in to work on that screenplay they’ve been writing in their free time. There’s a lot of traffic coming through your cafe doors so you will likely need furniture that is not only comfortable, and visually appealing, but also almost bulletproof. You need chairs that won’t break and table tops that will stand up to the constant shuffle of laptops, hands, and coffee cups without marking the surface. The robustness of your furniture should be one of the top factors when choosing cafe furniture for your next project.

As with any design journey, there will always be things that should be avoided and cafe furniture is no different. Some potential pitfalls include choosing cafe table tops and bases that cannot be connected easily. There are also fire regulations to adhere to. The UK has clearly defined requirements for furniture used in commercial spaces. You might run into questions about how to specify your outdoor cafe furniture. Do you have space to store the outdoor coffee shop seating? Does it need to be stackable, or waterproof? You might also need to consider issues with chair glides, especially in a cafe where there is a lot of traffic and therefore a lot of wear and tear. This is just a small sample of things that you might run into when designing a cafe. Our knowledgeable sales team can help answer all of your cafe furniture questions and give you advice so you can avoid these, and many other pitfalls as you bring your coffee shop to life.