Restaurant Furniture: Choosing Chairs, Tables and Booths That Last

Start from your cover count and seat mix

Furniture is where your floor plan becomes real. Before you visit a restaurant furniture supply store, settle:

• Total covers the room can hold under your fire and landlord limits.
• Seat mix: how many 2-tops, 4-tops, counter seats, booths and larger tables. Match it to your party sizes. If most bookings are for two, a room full of 4-tops wastes seats.
• Turn time: quick-service concepts want firmer, simpler seats; slower dining rooms can afford more comfort.

Our floor plan and seating layout guide covers aisle widths, seat mix and fire exits in detail, so we won’t repeat the maths here. Our guide to table turnover rate shows how the seat mix affects how many covers you can serve per service.

Sizing and spacing tables and chairs

A few rules of thumb help you choose sizes:

• Table tops: measure your actual plates, sharing dishes, drinks and condiments at full service. A top that looks generous in the showroom can be crowded once a hotpot or sharing platter lands.
• Combinable tables: choose 2-tops of the same size, height and base type so they join cleanly into 4-tops and 6-tops.
• Chair footprint: check the chair’s depth when pulled out and occupied, not just its size tucked under the table. Armchairs take more space than side chairs.
• Heights: dining chairs, counter stools and bar stools need matching table or counter heights. Check the gap between seat and tabletop with a person sitting.

Accessible tables

BCA’s Code on Accessibility applies to additions and alterations works as well as new buildings. Clause 9.5.3 of the 2025 Code says that where fixed seating is provided in eating establishments:

• at least two tables for persons with disabilities are needed for the first 20 tables, plus one more for every further 10 tables or part of 10;
• those tables must be no higher than 800 mm, with a clear knee space at least 700 mm high and 480 mm deep;
• a clear space of 750 mm is needed along the table edge where the wheelchair user sits, with a 900 mm accessible route to it;
• the Symbol of Access must be displayed on those tables.

Pedestal bases and apron rails affect knee space, so check the specification before you order. Even with loose seating, a few tables that meet these dimensions make the room usable for wheelchair users, older guests and parents with prams. Confirm what applies to your unit with your Qualified Person.

Commercial dining chairs: what commercial-grade means

There is no single legal definition of “commercial-grade” furniture, so ask suppliers exactly what they mean. Look for:

• Frame and joints: welded metal or properly jointed hardwood, not glued or screwed flat-pack joints that loosen within months.
• Test standards: ask whether the chair has been tested to a recognised contract furniture standard, and ask for the test report.
• Weight and stacking: light enough for staff to move and stack at closing, heavy enough not to tip.
• Feet and glides: replaceable glides protect floors and cut noise. Ask whether spares are sold separately.
• Seat comfort: sit on a sample for 30 minutes, the length of a typical meal.
• Warranty: get it in writing, including whether commercial use is covered.

Buy a few extra chairs from the same batch. Replacements ordered later may come in a slightly different colour or finish.

Tables and bases

• Tops: compact laminate, sealed solid timber, stone and stainless steel all work. Choose based on heat, stain and scratch resistance, and how you will clean it between covers.
• Edges: rounded or banded edges resist chipping and are kinder in narrow aisles.
• Bases: a single pedestal gives more leg room; four legs are steadier on large tops. Adjustable feet stop wobbling on uneven floors.
• Fixed or loose: fixed tables suit booths and counters. Loose tables let you reconfigure for groups and events.

If you use QR ordering, plan where the table code will sit so it stays visible and doesn’t get covered by plates.

Booths and banquettes

Booths feel comfortable and seat more people in less space along walls. They are also fixed, costly to change and harder to clean. Before ordering:

• Choose seat depth and height to suit your tables. A booth with a too-deep seat pushes guests away from the table.
• Use upholstery rated for commercial use, with removable or wipeable covers.
• Leave a gap or cleaning access under and behind the booth. Crumbs and spills collect there and attract pests.
• Check fire performance with your designer. SCDF’s Fire Code Clause 3.13 classifies wall and ceiling surfaces by spread of flame, so padded wall panels behind a banquette may need to meet a class. For loose furniture and upholstery, check requirements with your Qualified Person and landlord.

If you’re planning the whole room, our renovation checklist covers the build side, including where fixed seating fits in the programme.

Materials, finishes and cleaning

Everything in a dining room gets wiped, knocked and splashed many times a day. Choose finishes you can clean fast:

Material	Strengths	Watch out for
Powder-coated metal	Strong, easy to wipe	Chips can rust, especially outdoors
Solid hardwood	Warm look, repairable	Needs a durable sealed finish; can swell with water
Polypropylene or moulded plastic	Light, stackable, cheap to replace	Can scratch and fade in sun
Vinyl or faux leather upholstery	Wipeable	Can crack with heat and harsh cleaners
Fabric upholstery	Comfortable, softer acoustics	Stains; needs removable covers or stain treatment

Ask each supplier which cleaning products are safe on their finishes. Harsh degreasers can strip coatings and void warranties. Add furniture checks to your cleaning schedule: tighten loose joints, replace glides and reglue edges before small faults become broken chairs.

Outdoor and alfresco furniture

Outdoor furniture in Singapore has to cope with strong sun, heavy rain and humidity. Choose:

• materials that dry fast and don’t hold water, such as aluminium, outdoor-rated resin or teak;
• UV-stable finishes and fabrics;
• stackable pieces you can clear quickly when a storm comes in;
• heavier tables or weighted bases that stay put in wind.

Outdoor seating also has approval rules. URA’s outdoor refreshment area guidelines count ORAs as gross floor area. Along the Singapore River Promenade, for example, an ORA must be marked out by markers such as planters, and only retractable awnings mounted on the building facade are allowed. Our alfresco and ORA guide covers approvals in full. Buy furniture for the area you are approved to use, not the area you hope to get.

Lead times, samples and budgeting

Restaurant furniture supply ranges from stock items available within days to custom and imported pieces that take much longer. Ask every supplier for a written lead time and delivery date. We don’t quote prices or typical lead times here because they vary widely by supplier, material and quantity.

1. Shortlist early. Start once the floor plan is fixed, not after the renovation.
2. Order samples of each chair and table and test them in the room.
3. Get itemised quotes including delivery, assembly, spares and GST.
4. Agree payment terms, with a balance payable on delivery and inspection.
5. Keep a small budget for replacements in the first year.

Restaurant furniture checklist

• Seat mix matches the floor plan and party sizes.
• Tables combine cleanly and heights match chairs and stools.
• Accessible tables meet BCA dimensions and sit on an accessible route.
• Chairs tested for comfort, weight and stacking; warranty covers commercial use.
• Finishes suit your cleaning products.
• Outdoor pieces are weather-rated and fit your approved ORA.
• Lead times confirmed in writing before the opening date.
• Spare chairs, glides and parts ordered.

Once the furniture is in, set up your floor plan in the POS so staff can see which tables are free, seated or waiting for the bill. ChaChaCha, powered by AppsPOS, includes table management with split bills and tabs. Talk to our team to see how it works with your layout.