Restaurant and café interiors need to serve the people who use them every day: guests, service teams and cleaning staff. Furniture and joinery should support the way the venue operates as well as its visual identity.
Whether you are preparing a new venue in Lebanon or refreshing an existing one, a clear operational brief helps the design and fit-out teams make decisions that suit the space.
Start with the service model
Explain how guests arrive, order, sit and move through the venue. A café with short visits may need a different seating mix from a restaurant built around longer meals. Include waiting areas, service stations and storage in the discussion.
Agree the layout with the responsible design team before placing furniture orders. Seating capacity should be considered alongside circulation, accessibility and the project-specific requirements that the relevant professionals must verify.
Choose furniture as a working set
Review tables and seating together. The relationship between chair arms, table edges and bases affects comfort and usability. Consider how furniture will be moved for cleaning or rearranged for different group sizes.
If a piece is being customised, a sample or mock-up can help the team assess proportions and comfort before committing to a larger quantity. Agree what will be checked and who will approve it.
Specify materials for their intended setting
Discuss cleaning routines, frequency of use and exposure to sunlight or moisture when choosing finishes and upholstery. Ask suppliers for care guidance and evidence of suitability for the intended application.
Do not assume indoor and outdoor pieces are interchangeable. If a terrace is part of the project, specify those conditions separately. Keep a record of selected finishes and fabrics so future repairs or additional orders have a useful reference.
Coordinate fixed joinery with equipment
Counter fronts, banquettes, storage and service stations need to fit around equipment and building services. Confirm access for maintenance and replacement, not only the appearance on opening day.
Before fabrication, resolve dimensions, ventilation or service requirements with the relevant equipment supplier and project professional. A change to equipment can affect the joinery around it, so the team needs a clear approval process.
Plan installation around site readiness
Furniture delivery should align with the condition of the site. Identify which finishes must be complete and how installed pieces will be protected if other work continues.
For operating venues, agree work areas, access and delivery periods with the management team. Record quantities, installation responsibilities and any phased handover so that the fit-out scope is clear.
Check the details before opening
Walk through the space with the team that will use it. Check furniture placement, doors, drawers and access to storage. Record outstanding items and assign responsibility for closing them.
Keep care instructions and agreed product specifications together. This gives staff a practical reference and makes later maintenance conversations more straightforward.
Explore ABZ Bahsoun's project portfolio and furniture and joinery services. Share your venue brief to discuss the furniture and fit-out requirements.
Build a coordinated brief
Explore chair designs as a starting point, then confirm their suitability for your venue with the team. Read our fit-out planning guide to coordinate the furniture with the wider project.