Communal dining isn’t exactly new. It’s long been a feature of fast food restaurants simply because it’s an easy way to maximise floor space. But in recent years, the trend has moved to wider meal experiences.
Non-traditional seating arrangements are far more common nowadays in those eateries and restaurants which attract a young clientele. And in such a competitive market, restaurants are constantly having to re-evaluate their dining space to appeal to the younger generation. With communal tables providing the kind of social experience that the younger generation craves when eating out, this item of furniture is becoming the norm. But why exactly do restaurants like them.
More versatility
Communal tables are versatile and can act as a station for solo diners, small groups, and private parties. What used to take up valuable time and one or two members of staff to push tables together in a mismatched fashion, can now be solved effortlessly with the addition of one or 2 communal tables.
That’s not to say that the whole of your restaurant needs to be taken up with communal tables. Instead, they work best when they’re surrounded by tables for 2 and 4 people. This way, you’re giving your customers an option, and if they want to dine alone at a small table, then they can do so.
Cost-effective solution
A restaurant utilising a few communal tables is likely to be able to fit in more people than one only using traditional table and chair sets. If space is limited, then communal tables may well provide a solution.
By placing customers on a communal table, space is freed up for those customers preferring to eat on smaller tables in private; whereas without communal tables, a restaurant would have no choice but to place a solo diner at their own individual table, effectively meaning that the other seats are out of action.
Communal tables help restaurants increase their revenue by maximising the space they have available to them.
Millennials crave social interaction
When used in the right way, communal tables totally transform a restaurant’s atmosphere. There’s a buzz surrounding restaurants with communal tables that are full of young people chatting, snacking, and lingering without feeling the need to rush on.
Communal tables help to achieve this buzz by making it possible for groups of like-minded people to come together and share a lively and interesting dining experience. Instead of asking for a table for one, any social stigma is removed, making the single person feel like they belong to the community. It’s a great option for anyone new in town looking to make new friends and contacts.
Restaurant chairs and communal tables
At Café Chairs Sydney we have a range of communal tables as well as a wide variety of dining chairs to suit all decors and themes. Why not browse our online store, download our 2019 furniture catalogue for future reference, or pop into our furniture showroom to see our furniture first hand? You’re guaranteed a warm welcome.