Cool Wooden Restaurant Benches - Comfortable?

[DerbyDad03]

SWMBO and I had a really good but way too expensive (IMO) breakfast at a restaurant in Amherst, MA. I'm more of greasy spoon diner breakfast kind of guy but this place was suggested by the owner of the Airbnb we were staying at, so we tried it. Anyway, they had some cool wooden and metal benches. I didn't get a chance to sit on one, so I can't speak to the comfort. The seats seem like they would be fine, but the backs look like they wouldn't be comfortable for all customers. Have a look...

[Sonny]

On Monday, September 3, 2018 at 9:18:42 PM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote: comfortable for all customers. Have a look...

Cool. I can't complain about beam seats. I've made a few with beam "cut offs" from a remodel job.... no backrest, so they weren't very comfortable for long term seating.

My first thought was the beam (seat) is a 12X12, 5" off the floor, making t he seating 17" high. Usually, dining seats are 19" off the floor. But t he view of the guy, sitting on the opposite-side seat, seems a comfortable height. The beam may be larger than 12X12. I once heard uncomfortable seating "disallows" a patron to linger, longer, i.e., not making space for another paying customer. A shorter seating allows for seating children, th ough, so a happy median of seating height is logical.

So, no chance to carve your initials in one. No underside, to stick your used-up gum, either.

Sonny

[Leon]

Of all of the things I do not build, anything you sit on. Seating is just too touchy to get right. It can look great and might be something you would not want your worst enemy to sit in.

These benches are cool but "many" restaurants have uncomfortable chairs for a reason, they don't want you staying too long after you have eaten.

These might fit the bill just right.

[krw]

I understand this is the same reason they tend to make restaurants loud with garish lighting. These customer unfriendly tactics make for grumpy customers if the kitchen is slow. Grumpy customers make for grumpy (underpaid) staff.

Another place to avoid.

[Sonny]

Getting a little off Derby's subject, some comments about seating: I've built quite a few seats and, yes, it's somewhat hard to make a nice co mfortable seat that suits everyone. I suspect this is one problem with co mfortable seating, that, one design can't satisfy all sitters. For some ti me, now, I've built to satisfy my personal comfort and that seems to be the best approach for achieving more of others' comfort, as well.

In many of my seat-building cases, it hasn't been the comfort aspect that h as been my most pressing problem, but getting the correct jointery and mati ng of the joints, for the overall surety of the structure, especially with rocking chairs, where the forces, on the structure, vary, as one rocks.

As to rocking chairs, one leg longer and/or the angle (front to back) of ea ch the rockers, themselves, needs to be the same exact angle, otherwise the rocker will creep sideways, across the floor, as one rocks.

Sonny

[hubops]

... here, all along, I thought it was the whisky ! :-) John T.

[Sonny]

It is the whisky, during the build and the rocking.

Sonny

[-MIKE-]

That was my though. Most of the Mexican restaurants around here have benches with the seat made of flat plywood with no padding and the back "rest" the same material at 90 degrees from the seat. Talk about uncomfortable.

Those types of businesses are based om quantity, not quality. Get em in and out in a hurry.

[Leon]

Eggsactly! Almost anyone can sit on anything for 20-35 minutes but only if they are already being served. If I have not been served I will tend to walk out.

[DerbyDad03]

I hate waiting at restaurants. I too have walked out, usually letting someone who works there know why.

I also tend to ask for the check "early". Sometimes at the "How is everythi ng?" visit when I know we won't be having desert, otherwise I'll ask them to bri ng the check at the time we order dessert. I'm polite, usually saying somethin g like "We have plans for right after dinner. Would you mind getting the chec k ready when you have a chance? Thanks!"

As much as I hate waiting to order my food, I hate even more having to wait for the check after I'm done eating.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Aside from some tourist traps, you'd not enjoy eating out in Italy. Nothing is rushed and many restaurants do not open until 7 PM. The check will not come until you are finished your last drop of espresso.

[Leon]

Yup! I do the same in the grocery store. I don't tolerate waiting to PAY. I once wasked away from a full basket because the register lines had 5~7 people in each, with full baskets. Only 4 of the 10-12 registers were open and there were 3 or 4 supervisors standing around just watching. I think they watched me walk out of the store empty handed. :~) Too many chiefs and not enough indians.

[Leon]

Not unique to Italy, Small town Texas is that way too. BUT if you are out of town your time is probably not so cramped.

[DerbyDad03]

I don't know about "probably". SWMBO and I just spent 2 weeks on a road trip through Utah and Arizona. Basically a big loop around the Grand Canyon .

While our time was not "cramped", sitting in a restaurant was not a how we wanted to spend the time that we had. Bryce, Zion, Lake Powell and the Colorado River were the priorities.

Lot's of PB&J sandwiches on the trail. ;-)

[Leon]

When you are retired, vacations often give you a chance to unwind and slow the pace down.

[krw]

That's one reason[*] why I'm hesitant to retire; I'm working hard enough now.

[*] The other being SWMBO doesn't want me at home. ;-)

[John McGaw]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

[Jack]

I think it's the same reason, but the reason is more likely due to the owners being morons. I guess if your restaurant is in a tourist trap where repeat business is close to zero, it might work, otherwise, if you want repeat customers, besides good food, you need pleasant surroundings including comfortable seating and non-loud, non-garish lighting.

[Jack]

Seating is a challenge to get right, but good design is everywhere. The big thing for most is working with angles. Much woodworking is simply squares, chairs, not so much. My first chair was a childs rocking chair and it was a bitch. Still have it 35 years later and still remember the problems it gave me to get right.

[Leon]

One would think, but, it has been my experience, the less than desirable seating conditions and loud environments are not at a loss of customers. When the customers are standing in line to get in the crewel seating and things you mentioned have no effect on business. In fact there is a certain restaurant that is no pleasure to go to but is busy enough, lines out the doors, that they close one day a week. Almost no restaurants in Houston close for any day of the week. And while Houston is a tourist town, the restaurants are located and buried in neighborhoods no where near an attraction or hotel. In Houston if the food is good and the service is decent nothing else matters.