Restaurant Bar Stools Guide

Restaurant Bar Stools Guide

Put yourself in your customers’ place and imagine you’re in the mood for a light snack and drinks with friends in your favorite local restaurant. While a full meal is best served at a regular height table, light meals can be enjoyed just as well sitting on a bar stool. It can even be nicer, as there is a unique appeal to a bar stool when going out to enjoy a drink.

Restaurant Bar Stools Buying Guide

Our job as restaurateurs is to anticipate our customers' needs and provide for them. A restaurant filled with booths, chairs, and tables is great, but adding bar tables and stools, and offering seating at the bar, can enhance the visual appeal of the interior and make it more welcoming to a diverse range of customers.

Made of 16-gauge steel with fully welded joints, metal restaurant bar stools are durable and easy to maintain. Available in countless styles and designs, you can easily find the right one for your restaurant. The metal frame is strengthened by reinforcement bars that double as footrests and comes in a selection of commercial-grade powder coat finishes. The most common option is black, but you also have the choice of silver, gold vein, clear coat, white, blue, yellow, and more.
Offering beauty, strength, and a wide selection of designs, wood restaurant bar stools are ideal for upscale locations, hotel bars, and country clubs. Most are made of solid wood and come with either a wooden or padded seat, making them a comfortable and reliable choice for many commercial locations. Constructed using the tried and tested tenon and mortise method, they are then further strengthened with corner blocks and reinforcement bars. The wood itself undergoes a seven-step finishing process, culminating in a very strong and highly durable finish.

Most Popular Styles of Restaurant Bar Stools

Modern industrial design exposes what lies beneath the surface to achieve a raw, edgy style. Industrial bar stools become showpieces, achieving a look that seems unfinished and chic at the same time. Our stools provide an opportunity to juxtapose the raw with the refined, the modern with the vintage and the classic. Industrial bar stools work well in restaurants, hotels, breweries, and just about anywhere that seeks to pair form with function in an eye-catching way.
These stools make it possible to fit more seating in a small area while providing an airy and light look. If you are looking for a more open design, commercial bar stools with no backs are the way to go. With a wide selection of styles such as modern, traditional, vintage, retro, and industrial, they are built with great looks as well as strength and endurance. You will find a wide selection of metal and wood backless bar stools in various styles on our website.
In most instances, a swivel bar stool will beat a stationary bar stool in terms of versatility, comfort, and maneuverability. In bars and restaurants, swivels make good business sense. Your guests will be more comfortable and relaxed and they will be able to easily turn in all directions. Our swivel bar stools turn 360 degrees using an American made swivel mechanism. You can find them in many styles such as modern, backless, vintage and more.
Bolt-down barstools take up less space and cannot be moved around by patrons, keeping them in their designated area. They are also easy to clean and help save space, making them ideal for restaurants and venues with high traffic. These stools are extremely durable and safe, coming in various styles, including backless, and are built to last.
Bar stools with arms will provide your guests with a more comfortable experience, allowing them to relax in style. They also offer a more prestigious look that is sure to enhance the decor of your bar or restaurant. They are available in both wood and metal options and are typically fully upholstered, often coming with matching chairs. When buying a bar stool with arms, ensure that the arms will fit under the table and that you have enough space to accommodate the extra room needed.
Diner bar stools are great if you are going for that retro, mid-century look. They evoke a feeling of nostalgia from the popular 1950s era with their vintage appearance. They come in a variety of decorative options such as sparkle vinyl upholstery, and some even feature a chrome-plated steel frame. In addition, you can find other styles with a tufted or Bel Air channel back to give your venue an authentic retro look.

Counter Stools, Bar Stools and Restaurant Chairs

To determine the perfect bar stool height, you will need to measure the height of the bar top or counter first. Once you have this figure, subtract 10 inches – this will reveal the approximate height that you should be looking for when acquiring bar stools. Sticking to this rule will provide customers with enough room without the gap being too large.

Many people ask what is the difference between bar stools and counter stools. Bar height stools generally have seat heights that are around 28” high (28” to 32” as a rule) in order to fit under table tops with a height of 40” to 42”. Counter stools have a seat height of 24” to 27” for tables that are 36” high.

Interior design experts often recommend allowing between 26” and 30” per table space. Therefore, if your bar is 12 feet long (144”), no more than 5 bar stools would be recommended. 14” to 15” from the middle of the end stool to the edge of the counter should also be factored in. There should be no less than less than 6”-8” of space between each counter stool.

As for the difference between bar stools and chairs, in addition to being taller bar stools also come in more choices such as swivel or backless, which give guests more freedom to turn while sitting in place. Restaurant chairs’ seats are typically 16” to 20” high.

Popular Bar Stools

The metal ladder-back design is one of the most popular and well-known choices in the restaurant industry. Ideal for fast-food restaurants, ice cream parlors, and small restaurants/bars, these stools are praised for their strength, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Their versatility complements most decor themes. Available with armrests or with bolt-down options, these bar stools offer a classic and casual style that fits any location. Customization options are also available, allowing you to design them according to your preferences.
An old-time classic, our US-made solid wood bar stool adds warmth and comfort to any location in which it is used. With a padded seat, it will not look out of place even in the most upscale restaurant. You can also opt for a solid wood seat to distinguish your steakhouse as the local favorite.
This wood bar stool is an elegant and comfortable seating option that enhances the ambience of a restaurant. Its classic wooden frame and plush padded upholstery add sophistication to any dining space. The sturdy construction makes it durable and inviting for customers. Its timeless design allows it to blend seamlessly with various restaurant styles.
Industrial décor is an ever-growing and evolving trend. It's easy to create and maintain, making industrial design suitable for a variety of cuisines. Our industrial-style bar stools are among our most popular and versatile offerings. The two-toned wood and metal combination create an eclectic look that pairs perfectly with vintage, modern, rustic, and urban industrial design themes.