Food court and cafeteria furniture sure has changed a lot in the last few years, hasn’t? You probably remember the old, rickety long tables with uncomfortable seats in your school cafeteria from when you were a kid. Things are a lot different in lunchrooms these days, though, where the focus has shifted to making comfortable socialization a top priority. If you’re planning on updating your cafeteria or food court furniture to this more modern style, use the buying guide below to assist you in the process.

• Consider the space. The most basic consideration here is the size of the room, and the size and quantity of the tables and chairs you’re thinking about. Obviously, you need to make sure that the dining furniture will fit in the room without it becoming overcrowded. At the same time, you’ll want to maximize the space, fitting in as many seating options as comfortably possible.
• How will the flow work? Another factor in choosing table type is how it will work with the flow of the dining space. Think about how you want to arrange the tables and chairs. Will it be rows of long tables, or clusters of smaller, round tables? Make sure that people will be able to move about the space freely, and that the type of furniture you choose won’t impede that.
• Think about your customers’ (or students’) needs. First of all, is the furniture going to be in a space where it’s okay if people linger, or will they be eating in a hurry? Attached stools can be good for the latter situation, where people can quickly get up and down and aren’t slowed down by moving chairs in and out. Conversely, detached chairs are a more comfortable option, so if you want people to sit and enjoy food and conversation, separate chairs may be the better choice.
• Aesthetics matter too. Make sure that whatever type of food court or cafeteria furniture you choose is visually appealing and complementary of the overall style of the space. Clashing designs can make for an uncomfortable and unattractive dining environment.