Commercial Restaurant Tables: Sizing, Heights and Bases

A complete table is a top and a base specified, matched and shipped as one item, so what arrives on the dock is a table rather than two cartons and a question. Designform Furnishings supplies complete commercial tables for restaurants, hotels, breweries, country clubs, food courts and outdoor terraces, in dining, counter and bar heights.

Getting the height right

• Dining height — 29–30" table height, paired with 18" seat height chairs.
• Counter height — 36" table height, paired with 24–26" counter stools.
• Bar height — 42" table height, paired with 29–30" bar stools.

Check the apron and base spread against your chairs before ordering: arm chairs need clearance to slide under, and a base with a wide spread will collide with chair legs on a tight deuce.

Sizing by cover count

As a working rule, allow 24" of table edge per guest and 30" of depth. A 24" x 30" top seats two, a 30" x 48" seats four, and a 36" round seats four comfortably or three in a tight room. Square and round tops are easier to combine for large parties than rectangles of mixed sizes.

Choosing a base for the top

The heavier and larger the top, the heavier the base has to be. Stone, quartz and solid butcher block tops need cast-iron or heavy steel bases and, on a 30" x 48" or larger, usually a bar-style or double-pedestal base rather than a single 22" column. Undersized bases are the single most common cause of wobbling tables in a dining room. For outdoor terraces, specify a weighted or bolt-down base — wind moves tables long before it moves chairs.

Top materials

Laminate and HPL for value and fast cleaning; solid wood and butcher block for warmth; quartz, sintered stone and marble for upscale rooms; and aluminum slat or synthetic wood tops for outdoor use. See the full ranges in table tops and table bases.

Practical details that matter on install

Specify levelling glides on every base and check them at install — almost no restaurant floor is truly flat. If tables will be moved for private events, factor in weight: a stone top on a cast-iron base is a two-person lift. Umbrella holes on outdoor tables have to be located before production, not after.

Matching seating

Side chairs, arm chairs, bar stools and counter stools, or see coordinating chair and stool sets.

Lead times and ordering

Standard production is 14–20 weeks with 8–10 week rush available on many items; quick ship in-stock tables leave in 2–3 business days. Minimum order is 4 pieces.

How do I get pricing? Contact your local sales rep or a project manager or administrator in our office and we will quote your list, including freight.

Browse the range

See every complete tables we build in our complete tables category, or start from the full product line. For help narrowing a list for a specific project, contact your Designform rep.