Furniture for lodging and hospitality usage has to do double duty. Not only does it have to look appropriate for the location, it has to be durable as well. That’s especially true for a busy restaurant-wine bar concept like City Winery. With locations now in six major metropolitan areas, City Winery Founder and CEO Michael Dorf has had lots of experience with furniture. We asked him to give us his thoughts on the subject.
What trends are you seeing in furniture for restaurants or hospitality?
Michael Dorf: Thicker textures and wood.
There’s a movement toward using more natural materials in furniture these days. Is this a good thing?
MD: Yes. There are lots of sustainable materials, and it’s a good thing for business, for comfort. It is harder to fire-retard than ugly plastics, but it can be done and looks much better.
What’s more important when you’re looking for furniture – style or durability?
MD: Style. But we try to find things with at least a 10-year life cycle.
Complete this sentence: “My biggest pet peeve about the furniture I’ve bought for my operation is…”
MD: …when it makes noise against the floor. People just consider the visual and not the sonorous element of what an unbalanced table or flat footed, non-soft bottom chair sounds like when moving it around or when one sits in it.
If you’re in the market for furniture, check out the stories on the next few pages for some creative new ideas.
- Prev
- Next