Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions shops ask before ordering
Most questions land right before opening day, somewhere between the tape measure and the permit paperwork. These are the ones we hear most, answered short. If yours isn't here, write to sales@restaurantfurniture.shop.
How long does an order take to arrive?
Standard pieces run on a 14 to 21 business day lead time. Custom work stretches to about 8 weeks, and the truck's transit days come on top of either figure. Transit days are an estimate only, never a promise. Opening on a set date? Count backward from it and leave yourself a cushion. A large order can be split into several loads, and every load gets checked in the same way at your door. The delivery page has the full timeline.
How is freight priced?
Freight is its own line item. A product page shows the price of the options you configured, and the truck isn't in that number. A person reads your order first. Then an email arrives with the final order, a freight quote for every delivery address and payment instructions, so the freight figure is on the table before you pay anything. Orders ride as palletized LTL freight. The base rate covers a drop at a dock or tailgate at a business address, and each extra service adds to it.
Is a liftgate included?
Not unless you book one. The base service stops at the dock or the tailgate, and wheeling pallets inside is your crew's job. Four extras exist, all booked when the order goes in and all charged: liftgate, inside delivery, limited access for schools, hospitals, churches, military bases and other restricted sites, and residential delivery. Stairs are off the route, since drivers don't carry freight up or down them. A shop with a step, a high curb or an upstairs door should settle this before sending the order, because the curb is a poor place to decide.
Do chairs and tables come assembled?
The product page tells you what you're buying: the size, the weight where listed and, for a table top, whether a base comes with it. Tops and bases are separate items in the catalog, so one table is often two lines. Whatever arrives, unpacking, assembly and cardboard removal are never part of the freight service. Plan on a helper or two, basic tools and a corner for the cartons.
When do I pay, and how?
Not on the website. Sending an order charges nothing, and no payment is taken there. A person reads the order, an email brings the final order, the freight quote and instructions for paying, and an invoice follows. Cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), checks, money orders and wire transfers all work. Standard orders are paid before shipping. Custom orders start with a deposit of 40%, and the balance is due before delivery.
What is the minimum order?
The smallest order is 8 pieces of tables and chairs, counted together. Pieces count, not lines. Six black chairs and two walnut ones make two lines and eight pieces, which is enough. A line is a single configuration, so one chair in two finishes takes two lines. Booths sit outside the rule, so a booth-only order needs no piece count.
Can you deliver to a home address?
Yes. Residential addresses are served with the residential delivery service, which you book when you order and which costs extra. Each delivery address gets its own freight quote. A home bakery or a pop-up in someone's garage counts, so say so on the order. The usual limits apply: the driver stops at the tailgate and doesn't carry anything up stairs.
How do I send a PO number or tax-exempt status?
Write them in the order notes. The PO number goes there. So does a line saying that you're tax-exempt, or that the furniture is for resale, added when the order is sent.
Can I try samples before I order?
Yes, and they cost nothing. Pick from upholstery swatches, wood samples in the stains and finishes you're weighing, metal finish swatches, and table top materials. Ask on the samples page. UPS Ground carries them, and the trip usually runs two to three business days. An email confirming the request arrives within one business day.
Can you do custom upholstery?
Yes, with a longer wait. Upholstery outside the listed options counts as custom, and so do special-order finishes or stains and any size or shape outside the standard range. Expect up to about 8 weeks. A custom order needs a deposit of 40%, and once confirmed, a custom line is final: no cancelling, no returns. Get a swatch in your hands first. Then write to sales@restaurantfurniture.shop, start the subject line with ORDER, and name the product, the material and the count.
Which seat height goes with which table?
Pairs matter more than single numbers. Dining: table 29 to 30 inches, seat 17 to 19. Counter: surface 34 to 36, stool seat 24 to 26. Bar or window ledge: surface 40 to 42, stool seat 29 to 31. Between seat and tabletop, aim for a gap of 10 to 12 inches, or knees and laptops will argue. Measure a ledge before you pick stools. Backless bar stools can tuck under one and keep the queue's path clear.
Which pieces can go outside?
Look for the patio listing. Pieces made for outdoors come in coated steel, aluminum, resin or synthetic teak. An indoor chair with a wooden frame or a padded seat will fade, swell or rust out there, and the warranty won't cover the damage. Even the right pieces want a rinse now and then, a place for water to drain away, and a cover or a closet for the off season. Start with patio chairs if the plan includes a sidewalk table.
What cleans seats without hurting them?
Vinyl takes warm water and mild soap, then a rinse and a dry. Bleach and strong solvents stay in the cupboard. Fabric gets vacuumed, blotted fast when it's spilled on, and cleaned the way its cleaning code allows, if it has one. The wrong cleaning agent is on the warranty's exclusion list, so a shortcut can cost a chair. Tops, frames and finishes have their own rules on the materials page.
Can I mix finishes, or match a color later?
Mixing works when one thing stays fixed. Hold the frame color and change the seat, or hold the wood tone and change the chair shape. Matching later is harder. Color lists change over the years, so before a reorder, or before adding to a room that's already open, request a fresh swatch and compare it with the pieces you own.
What if I'm furnishing more than one shop?
Give each shop its own delivery address on the order. Every address gets its own freight quote. In cafe plans, copy the plan from shop one and change the counts for shop two. When a plan moves into the basket, today's catalog prices replace the saved ones. Orders this big may arrive on several trucks, so line up hands for each.
What if my shop is outside the lower 48?
We deliver across the lower 48 and into most of Canada. A customs broker you hire handles Canadian clearance, and brokerage fees, duties and Canadian taxes are your cost. Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are possible for large orders. Start with the specialist form and describe the order, and you'll get the route and the price in a written reply.
What if the freight arrives damaged?
Treat delivery like a first rush: staff on hand, about 30 minutes to unload. Check the cartons and pallets off the bill of lading, then inspect them. List every damaged or missing carton on that paperwork before your signature goes on it. Can't finish the check at the dock? Sign "subject to inspection". Take photos, save the packaging, and tell us about hidden damage within 24 hours. Shortages and defects must reach us in writing within three days of receipt. We help build the carrier claim, and a subject line that opens with CLAIM sends it to the right place.
Can I return something?
Want out of an order? Say so in writing before production starts or the boxes are packed. After that, the return terms take over. A stock item may come back for a 35% restocking fee on the value you return, with freight on you both ways. Worked out: 20 stock chairs at $110 are $2,200, and the fee is $770, before freight. A confirmed custom line is final. Nothing ships back until we've replied in writing. More on the returns page.
What is under warranty?
The original purchaser, using a piece normally in a business, is covered for defects in materials and workmanship present at delivery. Periods run from 6 months to 7 years: non-swivel metal chairs and stools get 7 years, patio pieces and solid wood tops get 6 months. Misuse, wrong cleaners, indoor furniture left outside, freight damage and everyday wear sit outside it. We repair, replace or credit the price, our choice. Report a problem within three days of receipt. The warranty page lists every period.
Can I change an order, and how fast will you answer?
Once an order is confirmed, any change to quantity, configuration or delivery needs written agreement from us, and it can bring added freight and restocking charges. A custom line already in production can't be altered. If you spot a slip, write right away and put ORDER first in the subject line. Expect a reply to a message or an order within one business day. Weekday hours run 8 AM to 6 PM Central, and after-hours mail is answered in order the next business day. Not sure what to put in the message? The contact page has the list.