Restaurant Table Tops

Dress up your restaurant with the right commercial table tops
By Jenni Simcoe, Writer Purchasing restaurant furniture for your dining areas requires some forethought in design, budget and space planning. After you’ve decided the size and shape of the tables you need and what your budget allows for commercial table tops, you’ll need to focus on design, which is where choosing from amongst the many options of restaurant table tops comes into play. When choosing table tops for your restaurant, consider:

1. Durability: If you use tablecloths, you may not require waterproof table tops. If not, choose commercial table tops that will stand up to frequent wipe downs and cleanings.
2. Materials: Match table tops with the rest of your restaurant furniture.
3. Special features: Logo table tops let you display your style to customers. Or you may need materials that will hold up in the outdoors such as stone or metal.

Choose materials for your restaurant table tops

Table tops made from wood and wood veneers are common but may need to be refinished. Less expensive options include melamine or laminate restaurant table tops. For durability and minimal maintenance, choose aluminum, metal or granite table tops.
Try:  Choose from a selection of wood veneer table tops at eRestaurant Furniture. Maine Supply has restaurant table tops made from solid wood, melamine laminate and aluminum. Cafe Tables & Commercial Tops has granite and solid wood round café table tops. BistroTablesAndBases.com has genuine stone mosaic table tops as well as stone impression tops and fiberstone table tops that mimic the old world look of mosaic table tops. Restaurant & Bar Furniture sells inexpensive stainless steel commercial table tops and metal edged retro table tops for indoor and outdoor spaces.

Customize your commercial table tops

Casual dining restaurants that don't use table cloths may want to opt for customized logo table tops that embed your logo into the tabletop.
Try:  Petersen Furniture will embed your logo in plastic laminate so that you can retrofit your logo to table tops that you already own. AAA Furniture Wholesale centers your logo on wood table tops and covers it with a clear resin coating for durability.

Get creative with themed table tops

Your restaurant furniture gives you the chance to be creative. Theme restaurants, such as sports bars, can choose from restaurant table tops that are imprinted with artwork that fits the ambiance of the dining room.
Try:  DecorativeDining.com specializes in themed restaurant table tops in a variety of themes including family restaurant, Italian restaurant, lounge and bar table tops, pizzeria table tops and ice cream shop table tops to name a few. Built-Rite BR Inc. sells licensed table tops imprinted with NFL, MLB, NBA and NCAA team logos.

Tile and mosaic table tops are ideal for Mexican restaurants

Mexican restaurants can utilize artisan designs from Mexico by purchasing restaurant table tops that feature stone mosaics or hand painted tiles.
Try:  La Casa de Mexico is a restaurant furniture retail store that imports hand-painted talavera tile restaurant table tops from artisans in Mexico. Rotas Mosaic carries mosaic tile table tops in rectangular or round shapes in several sizes.

Commercial table tops to fit in your restaurant booths

Some table tops are made especially for booths and either attach directly to the wall or are mounted from the floor on a table base.
Try:  Plymold offers a wide selection of booth table tops in Wilsonart and Formica laminates, Dur-A-Edge, vinyl edge, aluminum edge and oak or maple edges. AMC Industries manufactures wood veneer and butcher block table tops for booths. www.legsandbases.com offers booth-friendly table tops with T-mold and PVC edges, self edges, vinyl edges, wood and urethane edges.

• Always use the table bases that are recommended for the restaurant table tops you've purchased. If your table tops come with a warranty, it will likely require that you use the manufacturer's suggested table bases.
• If you choose wood or veneer table tops, ask if they have been finished with waterproof lacquer. Most commercial table tops are made to stand up to water rings.
• Before you purchase table tops, decide if you'll use table bases or legs for installation.