Where Should You Buy Your Restaurant Furniture?

For those involved in designing restaurant interiors, the question of where you should source your restaurant furniture is not all that straightforward.

It may be that for those who order furniture regularly, like procurement agencies or designers, a restaurant suppliers’ chain is already in place. This is fine. You will have developed strong and trusting relationships with your restaurant suppliers and you’ll have control of your costs.

But for those who are new to this game the challenge is daunting. Should you source locally and buy British? Or should you go overseas where restaurant furniture is rumoured to be available at a fraction of the cost?

Well, first of all, two major events have affected the buying environment. Brexit has pushed up the cost of importing goods from Europe so it is advisable to check all associated costs that now apply. Overseas taxes and freight costs may be too high for buyers to consider ordering restaurant furniture from countries who are trading within the European Union, even if the furniture is cheaper than its equivalent at home. And the pandemic has impacted the speed in which products can be manufactured and supplied. One of the perceived advantages to buying from China, for example, was the sheer speed of manufacture and delivery. For now at least, that advantage no longer applies.

So there may now be a stronger reason then ever before for buying British. This country is renowned for producing furniture of the highest quality and there are plenty of UK furniture manufacturers to choose from. You’ll find many of them in the restaurant suppliers’ section of gsmagazine online.