Hill Cross Furniture 
Casual dining has been the success story of the past few years in the UK dining out market. Consumers have moved almost completely away from formal dining to eating out in more relaxed environments. With the amount of British and European visitors to UAE continuing to grow its important that Hoteliers know how to adapt this trend for their hotel dining areas. Particularly its suitable for those involved in the huge wave of new three and four star hotels due to open in Dubai soon.
As Hill Cross Furniture supply and manufacture contract grade furniture to some of the most well known and popular dining venues in the UK; Nando’s, Pizza Express, Wagamama and Burger &Lobster to name a few, they offer some points of discussion to hoteliers on how to adapt this trend for hotel dining areas.
Comfort
Banquette and booth seating lends itself perfectly to the casual dining trend, people want comfort when they’re enjoying a meal and this type of deeply upholstered seating is designed with just that in mind, finishes and choice of fabric are plentiful and include deep button-chesterfield style backs and fluted piping but all deliver the same effect for the customer – a relaxing and enjoyable eating experience.
Quality
It’s important that the interior of a dining area matches the quality of the food. Only choose contract grade furniture which is finished in contract grade fabric, often some of the less experienced interior designers we work with initially specify a chair which has a contract graded frame but they will then ask to upholster it a fabric which has a low abrasion level and which doesn’t meet contract standards, by selecting the correct grade of fabric and frame this will ensure the quality of the furniture for many years. Also ensure you know where your materials are coming from, almost always, mass produced retail goods will not be up to the job.
Originality
Every venue wants to be unique and no one project is ever the same, in casual dining this is even more important, Nando’s for instance ensure that every restaurant is unique, but carries the same authentic feel – from the Nando’s both in the UK and UAE each interior is designed and manufactured with a high level of bespoke finish- wavy stitch backed banquette seating and reclaimed oak feature tops with contrasting patterns for example were created for one outlet.
Style
What’s the opposite of finery? If customers don’t want to feel stuffy and uncomfortable when dining out providing an environment which is casual is not as simple as it sounds as hotels don’t want to lose their quality and overall sense of style. It’s important to choose interior elements which perfectly blend casual with style. One way this can be achieved is by mixing elements of industrial style with traditional choices for furniture – for example, character or reclaimed oak table tops can be paired with traditional pedestal bases and traditional chair frames finished in bright lacquered colours with upholstered seats to add the important touch of comfort.
Interested in finding out more? Hill Cross will be exhibiting at The Hotel Show in Dubai on the 28th September – 30th September – find out more here.
