There is a vast choice of furniture to choose from when designing a restaurant, but one of the common dilemmas is whether to have wooden or plastic tables. There are several factors that you need to take into account. Both wood and plastic have their advantages and disadvantages. And a lot depends on the style of your restaurant, the amount of foot traffic you have, and the atmosphere you’re trying to create. You might also ask about metal chairs. Well, metal chairs can be a good alternative if you want chairs that are extremely durable. But you also need to consider budget and whether the metal chairs fit with the style and color scheme of your restaurant. For now, let’s discuss plastic and wood chairs, as they are perhaps the most popular options for restaurants.
Budgeting For Plastic or Wood Restaurant Tables
As far as budget goes, you can find wood and plastic tables for the same price, but the difference is what you get for your money. For the same amount of money, you could get a top-quality plastic table but a low-quality wooden table. Of course, it all depends on your commercial furniture supplier. Always get the best quality restaurant tables you can afford, whether it is wood or plastic. When budgeting for your restaurant tables, take into account that if you buy cheap plastic furniture, it will need to be replaced after just a few years. Wood chairs are more durable, so in the long run, you will be saving money.
Maintaining Their Appearance
It can’t be denied that wooden tables have a classier look than plastic. But it does depend on how much you invest in the tables. Cheap wooden tables will look worse than top-quality plastic tables. And these days you can get some excellent plastic restaurant tables. So it comes down to what suits your restaurant and the rest of the decor. And, of course, whether you can get wood or plastic in the colors of your restaurant. Generally, wooden tables are the best choice in terms of appearance. When you buy wooden tables, you can choose from wood butcher block table tops, rustic patina solid wood, dark industrial walnut or elm wood table tops, or table tops that look like reclaimed wood. If you want tables that are easy to clean like plastic, beautiful like wood, and more durable than both plastic and wood, then take a look at tables with a resin or laminated table top.
Keeping Restaurant Table Tops Clean
Both wooden and plastic tables can be kept clean easily. You will need to give them a wipe down with a damp soapy cloth each day, and in some restaurants, you’ll need to do this after every customer. Wood and plastic both show wear and tear after a while, but plastic tables will look worse sooner than wooden tables. Once plastic gets ingrained with dirt, it is no longer usable. Wood, on the other hand, will stay looking clean longer so long as it is maintained. As wood is a more rigid material than plastic, it will not show chips and bangs as much as plastic. The bottom line when it comes to keeping plastic and wooden table tops clean is that both can be maintained easily. Plastic furniture will show scratches and ingrained dirt more than wood, but plastic is easier to wipe down regularly in restaurants with a lot of traffic. That’s why so many fast-food places opt for plastic furniture. Not only can casual fast-food places constantly wipe down their plastic furniture easily after each customer. But also, if the furniture is ruined, it is cheap to replace.
The Durability of Plastic and Wood Restaurant Furniture
Wooden furniture is more durable than plastic furniture. However, if you have a restaurant with heavy foot traffic, then it might be better to invest in good-quality plastic furniture. With kids climbing on the furniture, people tilting their chairs backward, and constantly scraping them on the floor in high-traffic restaurants, the furniture will need replacing frequently. If this is the case, then opt for molded plastic, which is one piece of plastic rather than pieces of plastic that have been assembled. When it does need replacing, it will be cheaper than replacing wood furniture.
Resin Table Tops for Restaurants
One of the best alternatives to regular wooden or plastic table tops is resin. Resin is a chemically hardened epoxy that can coat the table surface to protect it and give it a gloss finish. There are many advantages to resin table tops. They are resistant to scratches, chips, and cracks, plus they are easy to maintain and clean. Another plus about resin table tops is that they are reasonably priced. They look smart and modern in any type of restaurant. Resin table tops come in a wide range of finishes, so you can match the color to your restaurant decor. You can even get faux-wood resin table tops that have the beauty of wood but are easy to clean like plastic.
Take-Away…
Plastic Restaurant Furniture
- Easy to clean
- Budget-friendly
- Not as durable as other options (although molded plastic is more durable than plastic that has been assembled)
- Usually not as classy as wood or metal
- Generally, when plastic furniture is old, it is replaced rather than repaired.
- Lightweight
Wood Restaurant Furniture
- OK to clean, but not as easy as plastic
- It can be budget-friendly depending on the style and supplier
- Durable
- Classy, and you can get wood furniture in a range of styles to suit different restaurant themes.
- Can require up-keep like polishing, sanding, or fixing joints
- Comes in lightweight and heavy-weight styles
You Have Other Options
One of the options is to mix and match the tables in your restaurant. You could have a few wooden tables and a few plastic tables so long as they seem to fit your theme and the overall look of the establishment. Another alternative is to get reversible table tops with two different sides. When you want a new look or when one side is old, you can flip the table top over. Other options include marble table tops (although they are heavy and expensive), metal furniture (a popular alternative to plastic or wood), laminated table tops, and resin-covered table tops.
