Choose a style for your restaurant chairs

There are hundreds of styles at every price point, including armed and armless restaurant chairs with high backs, contoured backs, padded seats, swivels, upholstered fabrics and colonial flourishes.

I recommend: A good place to start is FoodServiceCentral.com, which offers links to suppliers of every type of restaurant chair. Browse the nearly 5,000 chairs offered at Instawares.com to get an idea of what’s available. If your tastes run towards modern, try Beaufurn.com, which offers one of the best selections of contemporary seating styles. Find a directory of restaurant chair suppliers at Business.com.

Wood restaurant chairs

One of the most popular restaurant seating options is wood. Wood chairs can have clean, simple lines or ornate flourishes, and finishes can be light or dark in a variety of colors.

I recommend: If you’re looking for wood chairs, Wood Seating Inc., which offers quality products at wholesale prices, is one of the first places to shop.

Upholstered restaurant chairs

Fabrics can add a splash of color and a sense of elegance. Vinyl upholstery, meanwhile, makes for easy clean-up. And the padding that comes along with upholstered restaurant seating can increase comfort, thereby enhancing your customers’ dining experience.

I recommend: SaratogaFurniture.com, which specializes in wood chairs, offers dozens of fabrics for upholstering. You can request samples of the fabrics, which are treated with Scotchguard or Teflon for stain resistance.

Metal and aluminum restaurant chairs

For a look that’s sleek and modern, metal or aluminum chairs may be the way to go.

I recommend: BizChair.com offers hundreds of styles of metal chairs, along with other styles.

Barstools

If your restaurant also boasts a bar, your restaurant seating will need to include barstools.

I recommend: BarStools & BarStools has one of the widest selections of bar stools available. For more bar stool suppliers, visit Business.com.

Outdoor restaurant seating options

For patio dining, choose restaurant chairs designed specifically for the outdoors. Most outdoor restaurant chairs are designed to withstand the elements, but if you operate in an area with extreme weather, consider recycled plastic or wrought iron seating options.

I recommend: FoodServiceDirect.com boasts a good selection of outdoor arm chairs, armless chairs, barstools and benches. Compamia.com also has dozens of outdoor patio dining chairs. For more patio furniture providers, visit Business.com

Restaurant booths

Restaurant booths are often more popular with diners than traditional chairs and tables for restaurants. Restaurant booths are available as single booths and double booths and come in a variety of lengths and heights. Generally pricier than chairs, some restaurant booths can cost upwards of $1,000. To offset the cost, consider buying a used restaurant booth.

I recommend: For 50s style booths, check out Acemart.com. For additional booth styles, Instawares.com has a good selection. ACityDiscount.com offers some used restaurant booths, and Business.com lists a host of suppliers for both new and used restaurant booths.

High chairs and booster seats

Don't forget about the kids. To make your café family friendly, offer a number of high chairs and booster seats.

I recommend: Find a variety of high chairs and booster seats at HighChairWorld.com or at Instawares.com, which offers almost 100 styles.