Chairs are seating furniture items that usually come with 4 legs, a back and often armrests. Chairs are made of diverse materials and can be used for many different purposes. Examples of the different kinds of chairs are:

• Folding chairs
• Stacking chairs
• Rattan chairs
• Wicker chairs
• Wooden chairs
• Office chairs
• Children's chairs
• Metal chairs
• Plastic chairs
• Garden chairs
• Patio chairs
• Swivel chairs
• Directors chairs
• Dining chairs
• Kitchen chairs
• Rocking chairs
• Upholstered chairs
• Catering chairs

Chairs for the catering industry should be classic, simple and stylish but also practical and robust. Chairs for outdoor use must be both waterproof and weatherproof. The chairs should not be susceptible to damage through an aggressive salt water environment - even over many years of use. Please bear in mind that the chairs have to be easily stackable so they can be removed when not needed. Chairs made of aluminum are beautifully designed, rust-proofed and often associated with large-scale restaurant use. Staff in the restaurant and hotel trade are able to use these chairs to adapt easily and flexibly to changing daily requirements. Top quality chairs tend to be more comfortable because they are equipped with removable cushions. Chairs and tables for the catering industry should be both functional and comfortable, which will contribute to the profitability of your business.

Chairs and barstools resembling the furniture that can be found in Parisian cafés are increasingly popular. The Champs Élysées is one of the most famous avenues in France - and who would know better than French café owners how to pamper guests with style and class. Parisian-style chairs come in a range of different coloured woven seats, ranging from functional and easy-to-maintain polyethylene to plastic. The most up-to-date material used is Neoprofil, which consists of plastic-coated wires that provide a structured seating surface. The Parisian-style chairs are extremely comfortable, quickly and easily stackable, very robust and totally weatherproof. Their anti-corrosion coated aluminum tubes guarantee that they will last for decades. Great comfort and a variety of different colors combine top quality material with classical elegance. At last, there is no longer any need for café owners to choose between functionality and style when it comes to chairs! Your guests will certainly approve of your choice.

If you prefer an Italian atmosphere for your restaurant, bar or coffee shop you should take a look at chairs made entirely of powder coated steel. Only Italians know how to make durable yet lightweight chairs that make you feel like the sun is shining all day long. Within Europe, Italians have the highest life expectancy, due in part to their gastronomy and excellent cuisine but also to their relaxed approach to life. Italian-style chairs are the epitome of lightness and durability. Their wonderful looks add the finishing touch to your dining room. The beauty of their design gives the stacking chairs the impression of being airy and light but it is their great comfort that will impress your guests! The robust woven material is made of wire coated by a durable synthetic fabric. They are so beautiful that their functionality goes unnoticed. However, you can choose to use the stacking chairs indoors or outdoors as Italian-style chairs offer great durability and UV resistance.

When we speak of ergonomics we mean the science that concerns itself with the ideal sitting and working conditions of the human being, both in the workplace and in daily life. Good chairs are one of the key features of ideal seating conditions at work or, for instance, at a restaurant. We will try to explain to you what ergonomics means without getting weighed down in too many measurements or technical terminology.

Chairs are part of our everyday life: they can be found in locations such as offices, restaurants, schools and universities. The ergonomics of a chair determines whether we are comfortable and relaxed or whether we tire early and face the possibility of long-term physical damage. Such injuries can be avoided by taking into consideration the basic properties of good chairs - although the solution is not only to buy an ergonomic chair but also to use it properly.

• Adjustment buttons should be easily accessible and protected against accidental changes

• Seat height: 43 cm to 50 cm
• The back of the chair should be adjustable between 17 cm and 25 cm above the seat
• The back of the chair should be horizontally adjustable between 39 cm and 42 cm

from the front edge of the seat

The angle formed by your upper and lower thighs when sitting on a chair should be 90 degrees. The same goes for the angle between forearm and the upper part of your arm. If you are unable to reach the floor entirely with your feet you should adjust the height of the table you are sitting at. If your table cannot be adjusted in height you should be using a footrest when sitting at the table. You should not stay in the same position for the whole time you are sitting at a table. Try to sit in different positions while working on particular tasks and try to get up from your chair every once in a while. To facilitate this try to place certain items you need to use regularly out of your immediate reach. Poor seating posture on any kind of chair could lead to health problems.

Be careful to ensure that you have the correct casters on your chairs (e.g. designer chairs in trendy lounges or bars). This is not always obvious but there is one simple basic principle: hard floors require soft casters, soft floors require hard casters. In the case of laminate or PVC floors, for example, it is better to use soft casters, which can usually be identified by a grey rubber edge. If hard casters are used here the chairs roll too far and too fast. Equally, chairs with soft casters find it hard to move on carpeted floors, so that you are sometimes left hanging. The individual function of chairs should be checked on a regular basis for any possible defects.

Chair design is a highly subjective issue. It is not therefore a good idea to dictate to your customers what is good or bad design. Designer chairs are not necessarily good chairs just because they have been created by a well-known designer. However, a fundamental principle of very good design states that the function should not be limited by the form. Good restaurants or hotels should choose chairs that combine a flexible design with absolute ergonomics to support a healthy and upright posture. Designer chairs can provide great visual interest through the use of extraordinary patterns, shapes or materials, such as titanium, polished or brushed aluminium, rattan, graphite lacquer, cool colours etc.. These chairs often make a major contribution to the atmosphere of a restaurant, bar, lounge, coffee shop or hotel. The style of furniture usually determines the target market - whether this is more traditional or younger, more lifestyle-oriented. With the current focus on modernism in hotel and restaurant decor, designers are teaching the importance of good design. What they achieve with their design is an individual lifestyle that appeals to specific target groups and sets new trends. In their own ways many designers have committed themselves to an ambitious goal: striving to improve the quality of life through appropriate design and functionality. Good design should automatically affect everyday objects and influence life in focal points of society, including coffee shops, bars, lounges, restaurants and hotels. Designer furniture such as chairs, stools, tables, club armchairs and Lloyd Loom chairs as well as interior design elements should stand for timelessness, innovation, clarity and high quality.

Tables and chairs should match in terms of height, shape, material and colour. Nothing can be more embarrassing than having chairs that are too low for your table and therefore make people feel small and uncomfortable. This is why, when purchasing furniture items, you should try sitting on the chairs you like before buying them. Moreover, you should avoid buying chairs that do not match in terms of design, fabric or colour. Tables with drawers are inconvenient because they may require you to move potentially heavy chairs before being able to open them. A secretaire is more convenient in this situation as its design results in the drawers being above chair height. However, this particular item of furniture has no role to play in the catering industry. If you want to buy furniture for a restaurant or hotel, your ultimate goal should be to purchase chairs and tables that match the overall atmosphere of your particular business. If you cannot make an immediate decision try to take a selection of different tables and chairs away with you so you can see what they look like in your particular environment. Finally, you should ask yourself if your guests will be happy with your choice of chairs and tables. In a hotel or restaurant business it is more important that the customers feel comfortable and want to come back rather than that the owners feel at ease in the surroundings they have created. If you stick to those basic rules it should be impossible for you to buy the wrong kind of chairs and tables.

100 Masterpieces from the Collection of the Vitra Design Museum by Peter Dunas, u. a. Vitra Design Museum (1996)
Designmasstäbe - 100 klassische Sitzmöbel (Design Standards - 100 classic chairs) by Peter Dunas, u. a. Vitra Design Museum (1997)
Stühle & Sessel by Lydia L. Dewiel Heyne (October 1999)
Stühle aufmöbeln by Catherine Tully Callwey, Mchn. (1998)
Chairs - TASCHEN 25 Anniversary Edition by Charlotte J. Fiell, Peter M. Fiell Taschen Verlag (June 2005)

If you have questions concerning tables and chairs please feel free to call us. Our phone number is +49 (0) 8191 9194-0. If you prefer you can e-mail your questions to info@goin.de.