BOOTH SEATING: PLANNING YOUR RESTAURANT DESIGN

Banquette seating or ‘booth seating’ remains ever popular…

Banquette seating often known as ‘booth seating’ or ‘fixed seating’ continues to remain as popular as ever in restaurant and bar design. Walk into any half-full bar or restaurant fitted with booth seating and it will be far more likely that the booth seating will be occupied and the loose tables and chairs will be the second choice for customers.

Banquette seating is often consider the focal point within a bar or restaurant design; a high-backed bold seating design can create a great first impression when customers are entering a restaurant. The booth seating can often dominate the tone and theme of the restaurant design. For example a high-back deep buttoned seating in a leather finish implies a formal dining experience, whereas low fixed seating with a bold vinyl finish in a daring red would be well suited in a themed diner.

When planning your restaurant design, banquette seating can be used to divide a room into different areas; dividing the dining area from the lounge area for example. The high backed seating can be used successfully to screen areas which you may wish to distract away from, such as the toilets, food preparation areas, lifts and wheelchair ramps.

The fixed seating can also be free standing within a room as opposed to being against a wall. This not only can break up a larger room into sections, but when positioned correctly creates a flow for the customers and staff, adding to the ambience. Lighting design can also make a huge difference to your restaurant design.

While dividing the space, high backed fixed seating is also a great barrier for absorbing sound in nosier bars when a more formal dining experience is needed in close proximity. High-backed round booth seating is often a popular choice for families and larger groups, which are particularly great at absorbing noise levels.

Booth seating is also a great way to maximise the seating capacity of your space. Difficult or awkward spaces can be maximised when using bespoke fixed seating, it is often surprising how many bodies can be seated in a booth as opposed to loose dining tables and chairs. This seating by its very nature, retains its position, whereas, unfortunately chairs can be moved around by customers which can at times, impede on pedestrian flow.

Banquette seating continues to be an integral part of bar and restaurant design and its popularity sees no sign of abating.

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