Design and Furniture Selection

From finishing the schedule to dealing with a dinner rush to covering shifts yourself, you don’t want to be worrying about the durability of your table tops each time you open up your patio. As a restaurant owner, you have enough to worry about!

IsoTop Sliq tables provide a modern, stylish table option that are still subtle enough to coordinate with any theme or concept. True to the “Sliq” name, these IsoTops have a thin European ½” edge profile that look great in any of the finishes.

Add character to your patio with these five matte finish options by scrolling through this slideshow:

• Gray Oak- A great alternative to putting real wood outside with its wood grain pattern!
• Cement- This pattern has the appearance of a poured cement, without the roughness!  
• Dark Mica- If you like the look of stone, Dark Mica has the color and fine details that make it look like a stone table top!
• Metal Line- This table is distressed with variations in color and even looks like it has a texture, all with a matte finish!
• Black Steel- A darker, weathered look, this metal-looking table gives a lot of character to your outdoor space!

Not only do these table tops look good, they’re versatile too! IsoTops are a great option because they can be used indoors or outdoors at your restaurant.

These tables are made extremely durable through their manufacturing process. A combination of blended resins, wax, and wood pulp mixed with high heat and pressure create the characteristically dense core of these tables. Each IsoTop is fully laminated with several layers for extra durability and is pre-stressed to avoid warping.

Give your outdoor dining the smooth finish and look of durable IsoTop Sliq tables.

Which IsoTop pattern would you want to integrate into your outdoor design?

Furniture is essential to any restaurant, but did you know you could actually use it to your advantage? The right furniture can help keep your restaurant operations running fluidly.

Customers are expecting quicker service than ever and restaurants are on the clock to deliver. Time is of the essence and speed is the pièces de résistance to make it happen. If your restaurant doesn’t have the capital to jump to the artificial intelligence of Jetson-like robots….that’s super normal.

Poor time management can snap a business model in half but by choosing the correct restaurant furnishings, you can help your staff run as efficiently as possible. We’ve narrowed down five furniture hacks that will keep your operation effective for your employees and bottom line profitable!

This furniture will streamline your hostesses and waitstaff processes, cut down cleaning times without skimping, and use your square footage effectively.  

Add a POS Station

Eliminate employees not being able to find pens, crayons, napkins, and even wait-time buzzers by having it all in one space: a point of sale station! Having a designated space for these things to reside can help cut out frantic scrambling for these easy to misplace items.

Even better, you can customize your POS station to fit your restaurant’s processes. Need somewhere to put rolled silverware so it’s at the ready? Opt for some wider shelves that can fit baskets the silverware can be tucked away in. Do you need to have the space to stack trays and menu? Try cabinet doors that shut and can hide away stored items.

By organizing these items, at an arm’s length away, your hostesses and wait staff can be ready for whatever the dinner rush throws at them.

Use Crumb Strips in Your Booth Section

Vinyl color, height, and single vs. double are just a few of the factors that run through restaurant owners heads’ when they purchase commercial booths. But one important factor that is definitely not at the top of their list to consider when buying a booth is having a crumb strip.

A crumb strip in your booths will make your wait staff and bussers’ cleaning routine so much easier. This narrow strip of space between the back and seat cushions of the booth let them really get in there with a rag and, much like its name, get the crumbs out! Not only does the crumb strip make it simpler to get in between the table and booth vinyl, it can also increase the likelihood it won’t be left by your staff because it was too hard to reach. Which isn’t good for anyone… who wants to seat on a crumby booth?

Lower Wait Times with Indoor/Outdoor Furniture Seating

Sometimes it feels like the dinner crowd just won’t stop pouring in! As a restaurant owner, this is a great problem to have but it does present an issue for space. If the weather is nice, you’ll want to maximize your patio space. But that could mean prepping furniture you haven’t use in awhile, shaking off the cobwebs, and hoping the dead leaves from last fall have evaporated off your patio.

Why not invest in versatile seating that can pull double duty in both seating charts? These pieces of furniture are typically metal that are specially finished for indoor or outdoor use. Having this kind of seating on hand can be helpful to keep wait times lower, as well as increasing the amount of customers your staff can serve. Lower wait times, happier customers, bigger tips, just from having seating that can go anywhere!

Clean Up Your Outdoor Space in a Snap

Whether you’re just breaking out your restaurant’s patio furniture or you’re putting it away for the end of the season, cleaning it up is a great way to protect your investment and adding to your curb appeal. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could pressure-wash the outdoor space AND your furniture at the same time?

Cue poly lumber furniture!

This eco-friendly substance is a great alternative to wood with its non-porous makeup, which means it won’t retain moisture! Your staff can wipe down (or pressure-wash) poly lumber furniture without worrying about mildew, fungi, or any other growing mold. Poly lumber has many benefits for outdoor use, making it a simple solution for hard-to-take-of furniture.

Accommodate Guests (and Your Staff)

Larger parties can be a struggle for your restaurant to accommodate, especially if your go-to defense is pushing together smaller table tops. It can be a pain for your wait staff to be constantly constructing and deconstructing the same space over and over, depending on who walks through the door.

By having a communal table or two that you can seat large parties, you can avoid losing your small tables by having to push them together. This way your staff can keep a balance between the larger parties and smaller tables, preventing them from becoming too overwhelmed.

We’re not saying you need to stand there with a stopwatch and record your employees’ every move, but it’s important to consider the success rate of how your staff’s current performance and what you should do to help. Even when your staff is on their game and working their hardest, there may be some areas that you can help make them more efficient in their jobs, just by changing your furniture.

The spring season means new life, new weather, and even new savings!

We’re making room in our warehouse before our busy season, which means you have a plethora of great deals for furnishing your indoor dining area and your outdoor patio. From vintage-looking bucket bar stools to tough steel frames, our sale section can help you get a great start on your restaurant’s new design or upgrade.

But you’re going to want to hop to it! The spring sale is ending Tuesday April 30^th and each item is only available in limited quantities, so if we sell out of a style, we may not be getting it back in stock. Let’s look at what deals you’ll find on the sale page…

Indoor Commercial Furniture:

Add industrial style to your restaurant with the Simon Collection! The Simon’s steel frame comes in a variety of seating styles and metal finishes to accomplish the manufacturing look.

If you’re looking for something a bit more colorful, try the Distressed Simon Collection. The Distressed Simon’s have the same frame as the regular Simon Collection, but have unique distressed markings that make each chair or bar stool a little different.

A consistently popular silhouette, Viktor and Distressed Viktor chairs and bar stools are perfect for any tap house, eatery, or café. The Viktor Collection features an oversized seat and is available in more neutral finishes to add a little metallic flair to any restaurant atmosphere.

Looking for furniture on sale, versatile, and stylish? The Distressed Viktor Collection is the right choice for you! This style has the same silhouette as the traditional Viktor but comes in six distressed color finishes that brighten up any space. Distressed Viktor bar stools and chairs can be used inside your restaurant or out at your patio bar, it’s got you covered!

Sit your guests in luxurious comfort (for less) with the 950 Bucket Bar Stool! This beautiful bucket style features tufted button detailing on the back and a comfortable waterfall seat design. It comes in three different vinyl colors and two base styles.

Outdoor Commercial Furniture:

Go for mid-century modern look on your patio with the steel elegance of the Luca Collection. With chairs, bar stool, and table top choices, the Luca Collection is black powder coated You’ll want to look at this new collection’s seating and table options; your patio and budget will thank you!

Like the look of the steel Luca frame? Spice it up with 20+ poly lumber colors to choose from! This bar stool and chairs are right on trend with their squared off back design and tapered legs. The poly slats add a whole lot of personality to the furniture with their bright, neutral, or deep colors. Customize your patio furniture and snag a sale? Sounds like a great deal!

Find exactly the furniture you need for your restaurant or bar’s outdoor space with the Caribbean Collection! This collection uses a durable and stylish combination of aluminum and poly lumber. And with the Caribbean bar stools, chairs, and table tops, you really get to customize your furniture. Choose from a black or silver powder coat on the frame AND choose what poly lumber you want to incorporate. Go with your logo’s colors or ones that match your patio, the choice is in your hands (and on sale)!

Helping customers furnish or upgrade their restaurants is always a great feeling, even more so when their getting an extra fantastic deal on their indoor chairs or outdoor table tops. If you have any questions on availability or selection, please call our customer care team at 800-986-5352.

Creating the right atmosphere for your restaurant or bar is no easy task. From combining ingredients together to make fantastic meals to painting the walls in your brand’s color, you take pride in curating the elements your guests will experience as soon as they set foot into your restaurant. And your furniture should be no different!

Create an atmosphere that your customers will never forget by seating them in the handcrafted Leesburg booth.

No matter if you are furnishing a brewery, taproom, or rustic eatery, the Leesburg booth is constructed to invoke feelings of beauty and strength. This booth’s metal frame is made from clear coated steel that showcases welding marks. The frame fits itself nicely into the industrial trend with its “bare bones” aesthetic.

Playing from its rustic charm, the Leesburg booth’s metal frame is finished with your choice of distressed wood for the seat and back of the booth. Choose from reclaimed wood (salvaged barn wood available in Natural, Antique Black, or Whitewash finishes), urban distressed wood (new wood distressed to look old available in Provincial, Dark Walnut, and Ebony finishes), and rustic pine wood (available in Distressed Bourbon finish) options to complete the right booth for your restaurant.

Each type of wood is distressed to create texture and a uniqueness that can’t be replicated from booth to booth.

The Leesburg can be made as single and double booth layouts, which have customizable lengths, so you can outfit your restaurant’s needs accordingly. Regardless of what length you order, the Leesburg booth is 48” in height to accommodate traditional restaurant seating arrangements.

Find out more about the Leesburg booth on its single and double listings. You can also check out our other custom restaurant booths and find the right style for your business.

With patio season right around the corner, it’s handy to have furniture that can pull double duty when you need it to!

Busy night out in your outdoor bar area? Grab some seating from indoors! A larger party just came in to dine? No problem, grab a table and base and give them some more space. Furniture that can be properly used inside and out can be extremely helpful for restaurants that shift their layout to where guests prefer to dine.

Whether you prefer classic design or something a little more trendy, East Coast Chair & Barstool has the right furniture that works harder inside and outside your restaurant.

Distressed Viktor Collection

We’ve taken one of our most popular rustic industrial styles and added the right pop of color! With six different colors, you can keep your color theme neutral (Black, White), whimsical (Sky Blue, Orange), or bold (Kelly Red, Kelly Blue) with the Distressed Viktor Collection.

So what makes this collection different from our other Viktors, besides the fun colors?

These Distressed Viktor bar stools and chairs go through a 10-step finishing process, ending with a strong powder coat. Through this process, the 16-gauge steel frame becomes durable enough to use inside or outside your restaurant.

These bar stools and chairs have the option to add a vinyl or wood seat, but these seat options are only warrantied for indoor use. To be able to use these Viktors wherever you need in your restaurant, leave the seat metal.

The weathered style is a great addition to your dining room space or patio, and right on trend! 

Hendrix Chairs

Add a mid-century modern feel to your café tables or outdoor patio with the Hendrix chairs. These chairs boast a fully welded steel frame that’s been e-coated to make them durable for any commercial environment. The Hendrix chair has an overall squared silhouette with a ladder-style back that feeds into its classic appeal.

Enjoy design that you won’t find anywhere else, with unique colors that will set your space apart. Playing on the rustic trend, Hendrix chairs are available in classic colors (Distressed White, Distressed Gray, Distressed Black) with distressed markings. And if you have a slower night where you don’t need the chairs on in your dining room or patio, Hendrix chairs are stackable for easy storage.

Carlisle Chairs

The Carlisle chair has a distinctive cross back design with stylized frame that never goes out of style. These chairs are fantastic for coffee shops, bakeries, and cafés that need to accommodate curbside tables as well as extra seating inside.

Strong and durable, the Carlisle chair’s 16-gauge steel frame is e-coated in three different colors (Distressed Black, Distressed Gray, Distressed Oak). This e-coating is what makes the Carlisle tough enough for indoor and outdoor use. To complete the look, the chair has artistic distress marks to give them a weathered, industrial look.

An ash wood seat is available for the Carlisle chairs but is only warrantied for indoor use.

The design of the frame allows these chairs to stack, making it easy to have them on hand and ready when you need to make space for extra customers.

IsoTop Sliq Table Tops

Beautiful and durable, IsoTop table tops are a must for a restaurant that demands versatility in its dining layout. These table tops are a high-density laminate that have a modern European design and boast a sleek ½” edge profile.

Get the look of wood (Gray Oak), metal (Metal Line, Black Steel, Dark Mica), or marbled top (Cement) with a flat surface and added layers for increased durability. These tops are pre-stressed, UV-resistant, and have a dry matte finish that create a smooth surface.

IsoTop tables are great for tight spaces with their 32” x 32” square or 32” x 48” rectangle top size options.

Vienna, Palermo, and Newport Table Bases

Whether you’re looking for a table base with a little more flair (Vienna) or one that can hold an umbrella for your patio (Palermo, Newport), we have some bases that will support your table tops, inside and out!

We’re shaking up the classic disc design with the Vienna base. This base is made of strong e-coated cast steel, making it ideal in your dining area or on your patio with its stylized ridge design. Depending on what table you’re supporting, the Vienna is offered with an 18”, 24”, or 30” plate and comes in table or bar height.

The Newport table base is an instant-classic, especially for outdoor spaces, with its built-in umbrella holder. The Newport’s steel frame is powder coated black for a streamlined appearance and unbeatable durability. Choose from an 18” or 22” base size in table or bar height for your table tops.

Get the support you need with the Palermo single or double table base. If you think you’re going to need a place to support an umbrella, go with the single Palermo with its built-in umbrella holder. Need more support? Try the double Palermo base. Both the single and double styles are available in table and bar height. Regardless of which you choose, the Palermo is made from heavy duty steel that won’t corrode. Get the right base to match your décor (inside or out) by choosing a black or silver Palermo table base.

Each of these bases are available in have self-leveling floor glides for extra stability.  

Put your mind at ease by finding commercial-grade restaurant furniture that can be used inside and out. This will help keep your warranty intact and your restaurant layout flexible. 

Have a question about a product we discussed? Please call our customer care team at 800-986-5352 for more information. Be sure to also check out our catalog for all the latest products coming to East Coast Chair & Barstool.

Create the outdoor oasis your restaurant patio has always needed. Allow customers to enjoy cocktails with co-workers and food with friends in your beautiful outdoor area while sitting in the lap of luxury in the Monaco Collection. The Monaco Collection is our brand-new deep seating line that consists of a chair, love seat, sofa, ottoman, coffee table, and side table.

See all the entire Monaco Collection by clicking through this slideshow:

Each seating option comes with your choice of seat and back cushion. The ottoman also comes with a cushion so you can match! Choose from our selection of 10 stock Sunbrella cushion fabrics. These cushions are made from solution-dyed acrylic that is fade resistant and durable, perfect for commercial environments. Custom cushions are also available for purchase to your deep seating set.

The Monaco Collection features aluminum bracing on its poly lumber frame for extra strength. Because this collection has poly lumber construction, it’s easier to maintain and your staff will thank you! This deep seating collection can be made in over 20 poly lumber colors, including five wood grain options. This collection also arrives fully assembled so all you have to do is put it on your patio and start serving your customers!

Mix and match Monaco Collection pieces to find the right combination for your patio. If you need to create privacy, try pairing a few chairs and side table. Or if you’re looking to create a more group-centric setting, play around with the love seat, sofa, and coffee table. Create the layout on your patio to best serve your customers, staff, and restaurant flow.

Get seating that encourages guests to lean back and take it all in (with a drink in hand of course).

Ready to take your patio to new heights? Get started creating your Monaco Collection setup today. Have a question about our poly lumber or our deep seating? Give us a call at 800-986-5352 to speak with our customer care team.

Time to add new seating to your restaurant? See what one of our new booths can do for your restaurant’s layout and overall design.

East Coast Chair & Barstool booths are Amish-made in the USA with superior craftsmanship and careful attention to detail. The booths come with many choices and customization like different vinyl colors or wood options. These booths below can be made in reclaimed barn wood, urban distressed wood, or rustic pine with multiple finish options, so you can match your solid wood table tops. 

Scroll through each slideshow and check out all the new exciting booth styles for this upcoming year!

Rustic Pine Booth

We’re adding a new wood option to our rustic booth lineup! The rustic pine booth is finished with a bourbon stain to highlight the beautiful distressed marks of the wood, creating a different look and texture than the reclaimed and urban distressed wood options.

Depending how much privacy you want for your restaurant, you can choose from single and double rustic pine booths with heights from 43” to 54”. And like the other rustic booth options, you can also choose whether you want a vinyl back or just leave it wood to match.

Tufted Booth

Transform your restaurant’s interior with the elegant comfort of the Tufted Booth. This booth has distinct appearance because of its strategically placed buttons and folds (find out more about this diamond tufting technique here).

The Tufted Booth also has a unique color selection of soft Naugahyde vinyl to really make your booth special for your restaurant. The Tufted Booth is available in 36” to 48” heights and 48” to 72” lengths in both single and double styles.

Tavern Booth

Mixing materials is what the Tavern Booth is all about. This booth is mainly constructed from either reclaimed, urban distressed, or rustic pine wood but also has a fully welded clear coat frame underneath. Even more than just the wood choices, the Tavern leaves a lot of room for customization for your restaurant or bar.

When purchased in the single style, this booth comes with a handcrafted unfinished back that allows restaurant patrons to get a closer look at the distressed wood. You can also add a coat rack to the any of the height options (43” to 54”).

Orchard Booth

We put a twist on our classic vinyl booth by adding wood caps, making a contrast with these two materials to create the Orchard Booth. These caps can be made with any of our rustic wood options and finishes, making it simple to match your table tops. The Orchard Booth can also be made with a crumb strip for easy cleaning. But this booth isn’t complete until you select your vinyl color! This booth has a little more vinyl than our traditional rustic booths, with a vinyl seat, back, and back of the booth for a whole new look. The Orchard Booth can be made from a standard 43” height up to 54” to accommodate how you want these booths to look.

Trestle Booth

Bring the farmhouse style to your dining space with the Trestle Booth. The Trestle Booth is all about being customized for your restaurant’s needs in any of our rustic wood options. This striking wood booth can be finished with a wood or vinyl back and comes with a vinyl seat. Like its namesake frame, the Trestle Booth is a great addition to your restaurant because its legs are high enough off the ground that your staff can easily clean the floor underneath it.  

Choose the right Trestle Booth for your restaurant by selecting your height (between 43” and 54”) and length (from 48” and 72”).

You can learn more about these booths by stopping by our upcoming tradeshows, visiting our website, or calling our dedicated customer care team at 800-986-5352.

It has been another great year at East Coast Chair & Barstool. So we’d like to take a moment to take a look back at some of our favorite customer showcases from 2018. Click through the slideshow to see all the wonderful ways our customers have used our furniture to bring their visions to life.

 

 

• 
  Simons with reclaimed wood seats can be found at Draft Republic in San Diego, CA.
• 
  Aliotas Pub in Miwaukee, WI with some beautiful Quarter Sawn table tops.
• 
  Distressed Viktor chairs in Kelly Red are a dash of color at BBQ2U.
• 
  PJ's Coffee has some great tufted booths to sit in while you enjoy your daily dose of caffeine.
• 
  Mare Rooftop has an amazing outdoor rooftop dining area complete with Atlantic Collection tables and chairs.
• 
  Romaines paired beautiful tile with Viktor bar stools for a fantastic look.
• 
  Distressed colored Viktor's give the bar at Lobster Tail a great pop of color.
• 
  Wood always looks classic at Talbots in Mercer, PA.
• 
  The Egg in Huntersville, NC went with metal chairs and wood seats for a farm fresh vibe, and we are loving it.
• 
  The New England Collection is looking good at Union 72 Barbecue!
• 
  Fiji arm chairs and lime poly lumber table tops have us wanting to dine outdoors at Talbot's.
• 
  Unum Fine Wine & Whiskey in Morton, IL has plenty of great drinks and seating with our 825 bucket bar stools in black.
• 
  Walk-On's decided on reclaimed wood booths and they look great.
• 
  These Elliot bar stools give Walk-On's just the right amount of industrial vibe.

 

 

A big thank you to our customers for making us a part of their year and for sharing photos of their beautiful businesses. If you’d like to submit a photo, you can do so by emailing or messaging us on Facebook.

Having a well-designed hostess or point of sale station helps to increase organization, further the aesthetic, and clue the customer in to what they can expect from your eatery.  After all, the hostess or point of sale station is usually the first thing that a customer sees when entering your restaurant. It helps create the story of your brand.

Benefits of a Hostess Station

A hostess station can also help your staff stay organized. Staying organized is crucial to keeping up during busy shifts and allowing staff to focus on customer service, instead of trying to find where the menus are. With customizable drawers, shelves, and cubbies, the stations can help to keep things from getting cluttered and out of control. Having a hostess station that is equipped with storage shelves underneath the surface can save your staff trips to your back area, and make refilling utensils, napkins, and sugar not only more convenient, but less time consuming.

Hostess stands, and the utilization of one, is a great way to control and increase table turnover. It also helps in keeping track of how many guests are coming through the door and help with managing the flow. These numbers can then be looked at later in time to determine busy times and help with the ordering process.

If you are considering adding custom furniture to your restaurant, a hostess station is a great place to start. Custom hostess stations are built to meet the individual needs of your restaurant. Do you need drawers or cupboards? Perhaps you need both. Are you looking to store t-shirts that can be sold to customers as a reminder of their good experience? Or maybe you just need a station for you hostesses to use for menu storage. All of this can be taken into consideration with a custom creation.

What You Need to Know Before Ordering

There are a few things that you can do to make the ordering process flow more easily. The first is to have already measured the space you plan to put it in. Only you know what size will work in your restaurant. By determining this and having the information readily available for your sales representative, you can help the entire process run more smoothly.

Next, take a moment to consider your needs vs. your wants. You might want your logo imprinted into the wood, but you need to have storage for crayons and children’s menus. Determine the top priorities for your station so that it has great functionality and looks good. By thinking about this ahead of time, it’ll be easier to communicate to someone in sales, when the time comes.

Finally, think about the overall aesthetics. Hostess stations are predominantly made of wood or particle board, with reclaimed wood hostess stations being particularly popular. They are also usually available in a variety of stains. If you decide to put doors put on your stand, you’ll want to consider if you want the fronts to be made of wood or a different material such as metal or glass. Smaller details such as the look and color of the hardware can also have a big effect on the overall design of the piece.

 

A hostess station is more than just an interior design choice. It looks good, but it also benefits your business by being integral to the efficiency of a restaurant. Having a station that fits your design makes a statement to customers about what they can expect from your restaurant, helps with organization, and enhances the overall aesthetic.

 

To discuss your customization options, you can speak with one of our customer care representatives by calling 800-986-5352.

If somebody had told you twenty years ago that, in 2018, restaurants would be lining up to serve their food on tables made from century old barnwood, you probably would have laughed and thought they were crazy.  It’s true!  Everything old is new again, and the trend toward modern rustic decors in the restaurant industry means that old reclaimed wood tables are more popular than ever.  It’s kind of ironic when you think that restaurants, in their race to create the ultimate “Insta-worthy” moment for customers armed with tiny computers that weren’t even possible in the 20^th century, are turning to the past for their inspiration.

You may or may not know this, but reclaimed wood isn’t the only way to get a weathered, rustic looking table.  In fact, given the relative scarcity of reclaimed wood, and subsequent higher price, many restaurants are turning to distressed new wood to meet their needs.  In this article, we’re going to talk about both types of wood tables, including what they are, the benefits of each, and when to choose one over the other.

What is Reclaimed Wood?

Reclaimed wood is old wood that has outlived its intended use – a barn, boat, flooring, wine barrel, etc – and is repurposed for some other use.  Technically reclaimed wood doesn’t have to be old, but older wood is more highly sought after.  Wood from “old growth” trees, such as those that were abundant in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries has a number of advantages over modern lumber; it is denser than new wood and less prone to warping.

What Are the Benefits of Reclaimed Wood

Character – Character is a word that is often thrown around when talking about reclaimed wood: most often as a euphemism for old and time worn.  The rich colors and patinas that are the hallmark of reclaimed wood can only be had through constant weathering and aging.  Even more, the old nail holes, knots, and natural imperfections of the wood itself add to the unique character of reclaimed wood.

History – Every restaurant has tables, but not every restaurant can say that their tables came from a salvaged barn erected in a field in Ohio in the late 1800’s.  Reclaimed wood is not only prized for its utility, but also for its story.  Even if you don’t know the exact origin of the wood in your table, the fact that it served a completely different purpose for the first half of its life is a worthy story in and of itself.

Uniqueness – No two reclaimed tables are exactly alike because no two reclaimed boards are exactly alike.  Think about that for a moment…in today’s day and age of mass production, it’s still possible to own something that is uniquely yours.  Each reclaimed piece in your restaurant will share the same benefits and characteristics, but no two will look the same.  Even if your table is one hundred percent red oak from the same barn, each board will have weathered slightly different, and will have its own unique coloration, textures, and natural imperfections.

Resilience – What happens to wood in a barn?  It gets banged up, scratched, and dented.  Now quick, what happens to wood tables in a restaurant?  They get banged up, scratched, and dented.  The beauty of reclaimed wood lies in its imperfections.  Unlike a brand new, perfectly stained wood table, reclaimed wood looks ok if it gets a little beat up.  Now that’s not to say that we would encourage damaging your table on purpose, but it is nice to know that one little scratch or dent won’t completely mar the look, it will just add more character.

Environmentally Friendly – One of the biggest benefits of using reclaimed wood is that it reduces the number of new trees that are cut down to be used as building materials.  It also reduces the harmful emissions that are created by logging equipment and the trucks used to transport the lumber to factories for processing.  In addition, it keeps a perfectly reusable resource out of the landfill and gives the old wood a new life.

What is Distressed Wood?

Distressed wood is new wood that has been artificially distressed and/or weathered to make it appear old.  Distressing techniques often include putting nail holes in the boards, creating circular saw marks to replicate vintage logging techniques, or adding a patina to the wood so that it looks like it has aged over decades of use.

What Are the Benefits of Distressed Wood

Consistency – If you need a consistent look throughout your restaurant, then distressed wood is the answer.  While it isn’t mass produced, distressed wood boards tend to look similar in that the same distressing process is applied to all of them.  They may have marks in different spots, but the overall color and pattern of wear is usually the same.

Price – Reclaimed wood is more expensive than distressed wood because it is labor intensive, and due to supply and demand pressures.  As the demand for reclaimed wood has blown up in the past 5 years, the price has risen; there are only so many old barns available to reclaim.   If you are looking for a rustic look without paying for reclaimed wood, then look at distressed wood.

Colors – Distressed wood can be stained to whatever color you want while keeping the characteristics of the wood, whereas reclaimed wood looks best in its natural color.

Should I Choose Reclaimed or Distressed Wood for My Restaurant Tables?

The answer to this is, as always, it depends.  If you are looking for an authentic rustic look with a story behind it, then reclaimed wood is definitely the way to go.  If, on the other hand, you’re budget conscious and just want consistently great tables that look vintage, then you can’t go wrong with a distressed wood table.  Either way, your customers will start taking out their phones to snap away as soon as they enter the place.

If you need help figuring out what type of table would work best for your restaurant, give our customer care team a call at (800) 986-5352 and we’ll be happy to assist you.