COMMERCIAL BAR TABLES

For restaurants, bars, bistros, cafes and more, bar stools make for ideal seating. They’re classy, they’re comfortable, they’re sociable – and paired upon with the right design, they can bring a unique look to your premises with little effort.  It’s important, however, that you think carefully before diving into buying bar stools outright – have you considered the vibe and atmosphere of your venue?  Stools can be immensely versatile as they can be put to work in more ways than simply giving your clientele somewhere to sit.

Decorating one’s kitchen has several stages. One of them is shopping for furniture. If you decide to have a bar table, it should become one of the most memorable elements of your kitchen décor. So, you have to choose it as carefully as any other furniture unit in the kitchen. These tips on buying quality bar tables for the kitchen should help you get started:

History Speaks

Bar tables are part of British history. We’ve been drinking in pubs and bars for around 2,000 years, ever since the Romans introduced the taberna, or tavern, to these shores. It’s also from the Romans that we get the word “table”, or “tabula” in Latin, which means, among other things, “plank”.

And that’s exactly what a bar table would have been in the earliest pubs and inns: a simple wooden plank or board, supported by trestles or perhaps blocks of stone, and later barrels, on which food and drink would be placed. Over the centuries, the bar or pub table has evolved into a multifaceted creature: it has grown legs, it now comes in various heights and materials, and is highly mobile.

So, if you run a bar or a pub and are thinking about bar or pub tables, this last point is perhaps the first thing you should bear in mind: how flexible do you want your layout to be? On the one hand, customers are generally resistant to change; they might have a favorite seat or corner in your bar, so if they arrive one day to find that it’s been moved, they will not be happy. On the other hand, you might want to change your furniture layout to cater for different events or even for different times of day (lunchtime and evening, for instance). The answer might be to have a kind of “skeleton” layout of seats and tables in settled positions, with the rest of the space given over to more flexible furniture.

Why you need it?

Bar tables for a kitchen are a great alternative or an addition to a bar counter. They are as high as bar counters but require less space. So, if you have a small kitchen, you can move a big dining table into the dining room or any other room and put a bar table in the kitchen. On the other hand, even if you have a big kitchen, you can use a bar table once in a while — for example, to take a break from your household chores.

Where to start?

It is better to think over your budget first; then, you can start choosing a bar table design. A bar table should match the décor of the kitchen. If you pick a classic kitchen, this can be a massive bar table with carved elements; and if your kitchen is minimalistic, you can choose a small modern bar table. Note that the same style is not always necessary, as a bar table can make a great modern accent in your classic kitchen and vice versa. Your bar table can be made in the same shade as the rest of your kitchen furniture, but it is not obligatory either. What really matters is making a bar table a part of your end decoration picture, alongside with the rest of the décor elements. Once you have figured out the table design, you can start choosing the materials.

Quality

First, remember that you are buying a bar table, not a fast food table. So, choose the materials wisely. If you want to decorate your kitchen on a small budget, choose MDF over wood. Do not forget to make sure that the finish is waterproof, resistant to temperature changes, fats and physical impacts. Sure, wooden bar tables are reliable and convenient. You can choose from a great variety of forms and colours. Lately, they have become very ergonomic as well, so, all of these features contribute to the functionality of a bar table immensely. Glass bar tables extend the kitchen space visually because they seem to be weightless. The majority of them are of great quality, as their defects are more obvious than those of wooden bar tables. Besides a tabletop, you should pay much attention to its legs and hardware, which are also very important to ensure the long life of your new furniture piece.

Even though a bar table is not the one you ever use for cooking, its quality is still vital because it should serve your family for many years. And, of course, do not forget about bar stools for the kitchen to make your interior complete.

Commercial Bar tables styles and finishes

This brings us to the question of styles. If yours is a contemporary-looking bar, then it would be best to continue this theme with your tables and chairs, using the bright, clean-looking chrome and metal finishes and laminates now widely available. But often it’s better to mix things up, with perhaps a more traditional-looking sofa and a low table in the corner or against the wall where drinkers can sit and linger; regular-height tables and chairs in another part of the space; and the rest of the room given over to high “poseur” tables and high stools. These higher tables are ideal for small groups who might just be popping in for a quick drink. Another factor to bear in mind is that if space is limited, tables with rounded rather than square edges make it easier for customers to move around without banging their legs or catching their clothes or bag straps on table corners.

Starting low

Low tables are generally referred to as “coffee tables”, although they are of course fully capable of supporting all kinds of drinks. Although their use in bars is not widespread, they are sometimes used along with a sofa or chairs in a corner or against a wall; if seating is low, then a table will need to be low, too.

The next stage

It’s likely, though, that your bar will mostly use tables of a regular “dining” height of around 68-70cm. A good table will accommodate a small group of customers. It weighs around 20kg, making it extremely sturdy and stable, but not so heavy that it can’t be moved around as required.

The difference between a bar and a pub is not clear-cut, and therefore it’s not easy to say what constitutes “bar furniture” as opposed to “pub furniture”. Often they will cross over. But it’s true that bars tend to be furnished and decorated in a somewhat less traditional style than pubs. A clever way of using wall space is to put a banquette or bench seat up against the wall, with chairs facing it, and tables in between.

High society

Then we come to the high furniture. This is the kind of furniture that’s found almost exclusively in bars. If your bar has a counter where people sit, then high bar stools are essential. There’s something very American about sitting on a high stool at the bar, catching the bartender’s eye when your drink needs refreshing, and perhaps catching the eye of a fellow drinker. For a stylish, contemporary look, we have many tables that will win over your heart, with its elegant curves, or with metal frame and pressed plywood seat, are ideal.

Groups of customers may want to cluster around a high “poseur” table, and there are numerous stools that would fit this set-up. This would look good with one of our tables in either black or chrome. A more decorative, but still modern design the, which comes in the same range of wood finishes.

Customer Preferences

People come to bars for different reasons: sometimes for a quick drink and a chat before moving on, sometimes for a date, sometimes to meet up with a group of friends for the whole evening. If space is sufficient, a well-furnished bar will be able to cater for all these needs: poseur chairs and tables for the first, smaller tables with more comfortable chairs for the second, larger tables with comfortable chairs or perhaps even sofas and low coffee tables for the third. Trent Furniture has many more options than the ones listed here. But the key to furnishing a bar is that it’s more than a question of simply going out and buying a job-lot of functional chairs and tables. By putting thought and care into it, you’ll end up with a proper bar – and customers who keep returning.

5 Different Types of Commercial Bar Tables

Pub-style tables are making waves and for good reasons. They’re fashionable and versatile, rendering them valuable in a variety of settings at home.

• Counter Tables

These tables look like conference room tables because they are rectangle-shaped and come with sturdy feet. They usually have sturdy metal frames and a wooden top, and they come in various sizes and designs. Often, they are available in a metal and wood materials that make them long-lasting and they can even come with an antique finish. The main design aspect of a counter table is their rectangle shape and lengths that accommodate a lot of people sitting or standing around them, much like you’d need for a meeting or a large family event.

• Round Bar Tables

These tables are very common in bars, and they consist of a round table that is roughly 24 inches in diameter and around 30 inches in height. They are made for people to stand around and chat with one another, not to sit around, so they are designed to be small in size.

One of the main aspects that makes round bar tables unique is that they often come with a swivel top that turns in both directions, as well as a foot pedal you can use to make the table either higher or lower. Like other bar tables, they are made to withstand whatever the customers put them through, and they usually comes with excellent warranties.

• Square Tables

Like the name suggests, these types of tables are designed with a square structure, but they can come large or small, tall or short. There is a wide variety of designs when it comes to square pub tables, and whether you want them to be used as a way for people to set their drinks down while enjoying the atmosphere of the bar, or as a regular table used like other tables, with chairs included so that people can sit down and enjoy a meal if this is what they want, you can easily find what you’re looking for. They can come with four chairs or in a more intimate design with only two chairs, but they are always designed for the comfort and convenience of their customers.

• Unique and Unusual Bar Tables

The designs associated with these tables may surprise you, because they even have tables with wheels on them that you can easily roll across the floor to different locations, as well as tables that look just like large whiskey barrels. The ones that have wheels on them come in a wide selection of designs, including round or rectangle shapes, and one of the most interesting things about some of these designs is that they contain wine racks, shelves, and even drawers to help you hold some of the things you’ll need while transporting it through your bar and fixing drinks for people.

• 3-Piece Dining Sets for Bars and Pubs

Designed for tight spaces, thanks to the fact that most pubs and bars are very crowded, these 3-piece dining sets are there to accommodate customers without taking up too much floor space. After all, bars and pubs are intimate and more small group-friendly, meaning patrons don’t like to be too far apart from one another when enjoying their drinks or listening to live music.

Final Verdict

When choosing tables and stools for your outdoor oasis, it can sometimes be tricky deciding which style and heights fit your setup best. Your goals for your outdoor space will ultimately determine the style of set you choose.

Buying a bar table may not be a life changing moment but it is important to get it right otherwise your bar tables might not be up to the job they were bought for and could prove to be unsuitable or worse uncomfortable. As with other types of furniture – the prices of bar tables vary due to the design, materials used and functionality.