Posted by The restaurant industry is constantly evolving, and so are the furniture trends that are popular among restaurant owners. Like everything else, restaurant furniture changes over the years and even from season to season. One year restaurants might be using a lot of upholstered chairs and another year you’ll see restaurant chairs with armrests. It’s not a good idea to follow the latest trend to the letter, but you can stay current by including trendy elements in your restaurant décor. These are a few of the top restaurant furniture trends to watch in 2023 and beyond.
Mix and Match
Gone are the days when a restaurant needed to have all matching furniture. Now you can mix it up with different seating options, a variety of textures, and a range of materials. Let your customers choose if they want to sit on a chair, bench, or booth. Give your restaurant interior depth with different materials and add interest by mixing different styles, for example, rustic and modern.
Comfort First
People spend longer in restaurants than they did in the past since COVID. Either it is because we want to celebrate life by hanging out with friends and family or because we need a place to work remotely. But no one is going to sit for a long time (and keep ordering food) if the chairs aren’t comfortable. In 2023 there will be an emphasis on giving customers comfortable restaurant chairs that they want to stay sitting in or longer. If you already have chairs, then add cushions that will make your chairs more suitable for long periods of sitting. The longer they sit in the restaurant, the more they order, and the more profit the restaurant makes.
Botanical Décor
In 2023 restaurant chefs won’t have to go too far to get fresh produce because some of it will be dripping off the restaurant walls! Yes, one of the important trends of 2023 is hanging gardens, which are also called indoor gardens, green walls, vertical gardens, or vertical farms. It brings the outdoors in and adds an earthiness to restaurants. And this trend is not only for healthy food and natural food restaurants. It has already been seen in leading fine-dining restaurants around the world. Add a vertical garden to your restaurant dining area for a functional and decorative touch. For restaurants that are trying to buy locally, there isn’t anything more local than growing your own herbs, and veggies. If you don’t think vertical farming is for you, then consider indoor pots and urns with fresh herbs, potted trees, or hanging plants.
Buzzwords to Watch in 2023 Restaurant Furniture Trends
- Functional: Restaurants don’t want to spend money on new furniture each time they change their layout. Instead, restaurants in 2023 will be looking for multifunctional, versatile tables, chairs, benches, bar stools, and booths. For example modular booths that can be rearranged into different formations, or patio furniture that can be stacked. Tables are more functional if they have reversible table tops, or can be expanded or contracted.
- Sustainable: Customers are becoming more aware of environmental issues, and they will choose restaurants that reflect their principles. So restaurants that use furniture made from sustainable materials such as bamboo, reclaimed wood, recycled plastic, or cork are the way to go.
- Customizable: Being generic is the last thing you want for your restaurant. Although not everyone can afford unique bespoke furniture for their restaurant, you can customize standard restaurant furniture by choosing a color that other restaurants aren’t using. Make small customizable changes to regular commercial furniture to give your interior the edge. It might be a matter of color, style, or materials, but make it your own.
Who Needs Trends
Although styles might come and go, the best restaurants stick to the kind of furniture that represents their brand and their food, rather than following trends. If you’re a restaurant owner, choose your furniture according to important factors like foot traffic, the overall interior design, and the type of clientele you want to attract. No one wants to be a slave to trends, because you’ll either spend a lot of money swapping the furniture in your restaurant every year, or you’ll lose clients because you’ll gamble on one trend. Be original, be true to your own preferences, and leave trends to the fashionistas.
