Restaurant Booth Seating and Banquettes for Chain and Hospitality Projects: Frame, Foam, Covering and Fixing

Restaurant booth seating and banquettes (fixed booths, wall banquettes and loose bench seating) are bought for a plan, not from a catalogue, because the units must fit the room, the table positions and the operator’s way of cleaning. A chain restaurant also needs the same booth built the same way for every opening. Both needs are met by a written specification and an approved sample.

FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. Send the restaurant plan, booth drawings, quantities and the project location, so we can compare the same specification line by line.

Product scope

• Fixed booths with upholstered seat and back, in single, double or run layouts
• Wall banquettes and corner units made to the room plan
• Loose bench seating and booth-style units that can be moved or reset
• Upholstery in your covering (COM) or in a covering proposed for your approval

Dining tables, chairs, bar counters and outdoor seating come from different production lines. See our pages on public area and restaurant furniture, fixed furniture and joinery and outdoor furniture.

What to specify before requesting quotes

Schedule field	What to record
Item code and quantity	One code per booth or banquette type, with the quantity per restaurant, area or phase.
Plan and section	The plan, elevation and section of each unit with the drawing number, overall dimensions and the dimensions that must be held against the room and the table positions.
Frame	Frame material, joint method and any reinforcement, described in writing for the model quoted.
Seat and back build	Foam, support and how the seat and back are shaped and attached, described for the model quoted.
Covering	Covering reference, who supplies it, pattern direction and matching, and the approved sample it is judged against.
Seams and stitching	Seam positions, piping, tufting and stitching style, drawn on the elevation and approved on the sample.
Cleaning	The cleaning method the operator uses and the covering maker’s published guidance for the covering reference quoted.
Fixing	Free-standing, fixed to the floor or fixed to a wall, the floor finish, the fixing detail and who supplies the fixings.
Table interface	Table base positions, clearances and any base fixed through the seat or the floor.
Evidence required	The test report or declaration the project specification asks for, with its edition, for the model offered and the destination named.
Packing	How each unit is protected and marked by restaurant, area and item code, and which parts ship separately.

The table is a checklist. Add a line for anything your project needs that is not listed, such as spare covering for repairs.

Frame, foam and covering are three separate lines

A booth that looks right in the sample can still be quoted with a lighter frame, a thinner foam or a different covering. Ask each factory to describe all three in the quotation for the exact model, and compare the descriptions item by item. Record the approved sample as the reference for bulk production, and treat any change of frame, foam or covering as a new item that needs your written approval before production.

Seams, crevices and cleaning access

Booth seating is cleaned often, so the places where crumbs and liquid can collect matter as much as the covering. Mark seam positions on the elevation, ask how the seat joins the back and the base, and review a finished sample for gaps and edges that the operator’s cleaning team would reach. Ask the factory for the covering maker’s published cleaning guidance for the covering reference quoted, and keep it with the purchase order. The operator, not the factory, decides the cleaning method.

Fixing, floors and the tables that sit with the seating

Whether a booth is fixed to the floor, fixed to a wall or left free changes the shop drawing and the installation, so decide it before quotation. Give the floor finish and ask the factory to draw the fixing. Where tables meet the seating, state the clearances and who supplies the table bases, because a booth built for the wrong table position cannot be corrected on site.

Chain rollouts: the same booth in every restaurant

For a chain, record one approved sample and one set of shop drawings, and quote each restaurant against them. Ask the factory how it will keep the frame, foam and covering the same across batches, and how a replacement unit would be matched later. Our case on restaurant chain furniture with marble-top tables for the Middle East shows how a chain order is organised, and our guide to samples, finishes and approvals sets out the approval sequence.

Name the rules in the specification

The rules that apply to upholstered seating depend on the destination, the building and the materials. Name the requirement in the specification and ask each factory what evidence it can provide for the exact model offered. Our United States, Canada and Australia and New Zealand compliance pages explain how we approach the main rules. Your specifier or certifier decides what applies to your project.

What to request from the factory

• Shop drawings for each item code, with the dimensions confirmed against your plan and table positions.
• A description of the frame, the foam and support, and the covering for each model.
• A finished sample of each covering, seam style and key finish.
• Evidence the specification asks for, issued for the model offered and the destination named.
• A fixing detail, a packing and marking description by restaurant and item code, and a statement of any proposed substitution for approval before production.

Send the plans, drawings and quantities together. For the wider range, see public area and restaurant furniture and our case studies.

FBM Furniture is the furniture-focused team of FBM Sourcing, which manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. FBM Sourcing’s guide to restaurant booth and banquette seating manufacturers covers the supply side. Our minimum order is a full container; items from several factories can share one container.

Frequently asked questions

What should a restaurant booth specification include?

Give the area schedule with item codes and quantities, the plan and section drawing of each booth or banquette, the frame and joint construction, the seat and back build, the covering reference with an approved sample, the seam and stitching details, and how the unit is fixed to the floor or wall. Add the evidence the project requires, with its edition, so every factory quotes the same piece.

Are booths and banquettes made by chair factories or by joinery workshops?

Both exist. Loose booth seating is usually made by upholstered furniture factories, while banquettes built to a wall or a plan are often made by joinery workshops. Ask each maker which of the two it is and show similar units it has made, then compare quotations line by line.

Who decides the covering and how it is cleaned?

The operator and the designer choose the covering and the cleaning method. Name the covering reference in the schedule, ask the factory for the covering maker’s published cleaning guidance for that reference, and approve a physical sample before production.

How are booths fixed in the room?

State in the brief whether each unit stands free, is fixed to the floor or is fixed to a wall, and give the floor finish. Ask the factory to show the fixing detail on the shop drawing, and agree who supplies and fits the fixings on site.

How does FBM Furniture charge for restaurant booth seating?

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.