Restaurant Furniture and Linen

Restaurant furniture

The furniture used in a restaurant where guest usually sits and takes their food and beverage item is known as restaurant furniture. It must be chosen according to the needs of establishment. It is also the part of the décor of the restaurant. The kind, quality, and design of furniture used largely affect the atmosphere of the restaurant.

The furniture is mostly made up of metals, including aluminum, steel, and brass and also gaining popularity as dining room furniture. Similarly, plastics and fiberglass are now being used extensively for producing dining room chairs and tables. They are certainly durable, light, and easy to clean and stack. They are available in a large range of colors and designs and are relatively inexpensive.

The selection of furniture depends on upon the following points:

• To match the rhythm of the design and décor of the restaurant.
• Cost and durability of furniture.
• Needs of the establishment.
• It should be of standard size.
• Easy to maintain and clean.
• Area available for the storage.
• The furniture should be durable having flexibility for multiple uses.

Some common types of furniture used in restaurant are:

Chairs

A chair is raised furniture which is used to sit on, commonly for the use by one person. Chairs often have the seat raised above the floor level, supported by four legs and could have a different shape depending upon what type of furniture it is. The dimension of the chair should be relative to table dimension. The chair seat should be 18 inches from the ground, the height from the ground to the top of the back is 1m (36 inches) and the depth from the front edge of the seat to the back of the chair is 46cm (18 inches). It enables the guest to sit and eat comfortably.

Tables

Tables come in three main shapes. They are round, square and rectangular. The size of the table normally depends on upon the space available and the service provided.the ideal sizes of tables are as follows:

• Square table

76cm* 76cm (2ft6”* 2ft6”) for 2 pax

1m*1m (3ft*3ft) for 4 pax

• Round table

1m (3ft) in diameter for 4 pax.

1.52m (5ft) in diameter for 8 pax

• Rectangular table

137 cm* 76 cm (4 ft 6”* 2 ft 6”) for 4-6 people

180 cm*7 cm (6 ft * 2 ft “) for 6-8 people

Side board / side station / dummy waiter

The sideboard/ side station/ dummy waiter is located at any convenient position in the restaurant. It is made up of good quality of wood. It consists of an upper shelf, drawers, lower shelf, dirty linen section, etc. It is generally used to hold various types of F&B service equipment such as tableware, cutlery, glassware, linens, accompaniments and other related materials required for guest services. The style and design of a sideboard vary from establishment to establishment.

Fig: Side station _{^{(source: www.tripadvisor.be550 × 309)}}

Restaurant linen

Fig: napkin / serviette _{^{(source: www.linencare.com)}}

The linen used in the restaurant is called restaurant linen. Mostly cotton and damask are used in the restaurant for almost all purposes because of its absorbent quality.

The main items of linen used in restaurant are as follows:

1. Moulton: It is a thick fabric with lint laid on the surface of the table tied with a pin underneath. It is used to hold table cloth. It is absorbent, has smooth surface and sound resistant quality. The standard size of Moulton is 32” * 32”
2. Tablecloth: It is also called napery. It is laid over the table on the top of Moulton. The size of the tablecloth depends on upon the size of the table required to cover. It should be large enough to cover the top as well as the portion of the legs of the table but the length should not interfere the guest comfort.
3. Slip cloth/ Napier on: It is laid over the table cloth to protect from the spillage and also reduces the number of table cloth used. It is preferable as it is easier to replace or replenish and launder. The standard size of tablecloth is 1m*1m (3ft*3ft)
4. Waiters cloth: It is the service cloth used by the waiter for the protection against heat while handling crockery. It keeps uniform clean and also used for the last minute wiping of cutlery, crockery, and glassware. A waiter hangs it on the left wrist during the service time. The standard size of waiter’s cloth is 18”*26”
5. Buffet cloth: It is used on the buffet table; where the length of the buffet cloth is more than its width. The standard size of buffet cloth is 2m*4m.
6. Frills: Frills can be found in various colors and are usually used to skirt the buffet table with the help of pins. It can also be used for a guest table in banquet halls/ functions. The common size of the frill is 10m*1m.
7. Tea cloth: It is usually made up of cotton and is used to protect from heat and to hold the hot tea or coffee pots. So it also protects from the heat while handling the crockery. The standard size of tea cloth is 9”*9”.
8. Tray cloth: Usually it is made up of fresh or discarded napkin. It is used to put on the trays and protects from the spillage and breakage of dishes during the service time. The size of the tray cloth depends on upon the size of the tray used.
9. Trolley cloth: It is usually made up of the unusable tablecloth and their size depends on upon the size of trolley used. Like table cloth, trolley cloth is also used to put on the trolleys and protects from the spillage and breakage of dishes during the service time.
10. Serviette: It is also called napkin. They are laid on the cover, folded in different shapes to be used by the guest to protect their outfit or wipe hands and mouth after eating. It must be spotless and well pressed. The ideal sizes of napkins are as follows:

• Cocktail napkin- 9”*9”
• Breakfast napkin- 18”*18”
• Lunch napkin- 21”*21”
• Paper napkin-14”*17”

References:

"Restaurant furniture, food and beverage linen." Oli, Gopal Singh and B.B Chhetri. Hotel management. revised edition 2015. Kathmandu: Buddha publication, 2015.

Roopesh Shrestha and Basant P . Joshi. (2005 A.D). Fundamental of hotel management.Bhotahity, Kathmandu: Sukunda Pustak Bhawan.