Wood or Metal – Which Should you Choose For Your Café

When you’re launching a new café a lot of thought has gone into selecting the right location, a great menu, and the best team. But with Instagram and Pinterest playing such an important role these days, it’s equally as important to choose furniture which makes your café stand out from the crowd and creates a great photo.

The key decision a café owner has to make is to choose between the type of materials. Wood, plastic, and metal are some of the most popular options which not only suit a variety of decors but also offer good value for money.

So, which will you choose? Here’s a quick guide to help

Choose by your theme

When choosing café furniture going by style makes a lot of sense. For instance, metal or plastic is a good choice if you want to create a casual ambience whereas wood furniture suits more of a fine-dining theme. One advantage of plastic and metal is that there are lots of colours to choose from which all add to the vibe you’re trying to establish.

Maintenance

If you’re running a busy venue then one mistake to avoid is choosing residential furniture. Commercial furniture is designed to withstand constant regular use so in that respect both metal and wood are suitable choices. However, metal furniture only needs dusting long-term whereas wooden furniture may require regular polishing and staining to keep it looking pristine.

Understanding your customers

It’s extremely important to know the type of customers you’re likely to attract and what their expectations might be. Will your customers be expecting something modern and eclectic or elegant and traditional? Would they like to sit at communal wooden tables or prefer the privacy offered by booth seating? Once you have the answers to these questions it should make it easier to choose between wood or metal furniture.

Budget is key

Lastly, and possibly the most important thing, is to keep the budget you have set aside in mind. It’s likely that your furniture will take up a large proportion of your overall budget but getting high quality wood or metal furniture from a trusted supplier surely ticks all your boxes.

While wood furniture can sometimes cost more than metal furniture, commercial grade wood furniture such as teak has several advantages that makes it a great one-time investment, such as being resistant to warping, water and insects.

Commercial metal furniture, on the other hand, can be considered more versatile when you’re designing your space. With many styles to choose from, you can find metal tables and chairs to fit any layout and with a variety of gorgeous powder coated colours it’s easy to create a vibrant setting.

Café Furniture Melbourne offers a wide choice of commercial wood and metal furniture and for those that just can’t decide between the two, many of our styles combine wood and metal.