Booth Seating Upholstery in Restaurants: What Type of Fabric Should You Choose?

Booth-type chairs are a commonplace sight in many a restaurant. Not only are they employed for very practical and aesthetic reasons, they are likewise the stereotype for what restaurant or diner seating ideally is – a comfortable place to relax and eat.

Informal but charming, practical yet stylish, affordable yet long-lasting, one would not find it difficult to figure out why booth seating is the ideal choice for many restaurants. While booth-type seats are not at all difficult to find, nor are they altogether very pricey, many business owners find it quite difficult to decide on the right type of upholstery to pick for a restaurant setting.

Below are some common choices of upholstery for restaurants and their respective pros and cons:

• Velveteen – velveteen is the cheaper cousin of velvet. Commonly employed in many restaurants because of its plush nature and wonderful texture, it is likewise ideal due to its affordability. Unfortunately, velveteen, like many thick, plush fabrics, has a tendency to collect undesirable and offensive smells like smoke and food odours, which can be difficult to remove. Velveteen is also quite finicky when it comes to staining, and its texture can be affected quite easily by moisture damage.

• Linen – a crisp, clean, and traditional choice. Linen upholstery may seem unconventional to many people when employed in a home setting, but linen has been a mainstay in eateries since the early 1940s – all for a good reason: it is a cheap and easy material to clean. Linen can be dyed, embroidered, or otherwise done up in many different ways in order to look amazing. Unfortunately, like velveteen, it too can collect malodorous smells and can be prone to staining. The good part is about linen, unlike velveteen, it is easily cleaned and deodorised.

• Leatherette – classy, low-maintenance and practical, leatherette is another go-to choice for restaurant booth seating upholstery. Because of its synthetic nature, it does not easily collect food odours and it is capable of resisting stains and water-damage from accidental spills. Unfortunately, leatherette can be prone to cracking if improperly maintained, and it also has the unfortunate aftereffect of being uncomfortably ‘hot’, and thus is not an ideal choice for non-air conditioned eateries.

Choosing booth seating upholstery can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be when you have help from professionals at Absolute Upholstery. We can help you make the best upholstery choice for your restaurant booth setting that will meet your specific needs and aesthetic taste.

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