When a person starts a new business, such as a cafe with an outdoor dining area, it might be very expensive to purchase new outdoor commercial furniture. But there is an alternative way to furnish outdoor business spaces on a small budget. There are consignment businesses and other places to find used commercial outdoor furniture for a bargain price. When the business is more established, the owner can replace the used furniture with more upscale new commercial outdoor furniture.
The Importance Of Outdoor Commercial Furniture Today
It used to be that a restaurant or cafe had a choice whether to offer outdoor dining or not. COVID changed that. Now, providing outdoor dining or seating might be the difference between staying open and going out of business. But businesses already strapped for money might not be able to afford brand-new outdoor dining and seating furniture that will withstand commercial use.
But commercial outdoor furniture can be bought at reduced prices if it is last year’s model or used. Quality and good design are more important than whether the furniture is new or slightly used. It might be a good plan to buy a few pieces of new, good-quality commercial outdoor furniture that are placed in high-visibility areas, then look for used furniture that will coordinate well with it and fill out the outdoor seating or dining area.
Because of COVID and the different safety rules put in place concerning distancing and mask-wearing, a lot of cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants have added or enlarged outdoor dining spaces. Other businesses have added outdoor seating for small meeting venues. It is important to change with the times to stay in business. However, business owners have limited funds to work with. Finding places that sell good-quality used commercial outdoor furniture is a good answer.
Finding Used Outdoor Commercial Furniture
Hotels might be a source of used outdoor commercial furniture. They are continually replacing furniture and bedding to keep their look new and unique. Many hotels partner with furniture companies to manufacture furniture that fits their decor theme and quality needs. When it is time to update, they get rid of old furniture and bedding by recycling it, donating it to charities, or having liquidation sales. The business owner can purchase the used furniture through the hotel sales or from the charity consignment shops that get the furniture from the hotels. There are second-hand and consignment stores that specialize in gently used commercial furniture.
Another possible source of gently used commercial outdoor furniture might be auction houses. Business owners can also become expert online shoppers and find good bargains on used patio furniture from across the country. There are numerous online marketplaces to look at. They can be national but have an app to sort out available furniture offerings that are near the business needing the furniture.
For those who do not want to shop online, there are also architectural salvage yards or even junk shops to look in. Just remember that this used furniture might need a good cleaning, a coat of paint, or even new upholstery—plan on spending some time refurbishing used outdoor furniture.
How To Make That Used Furniture Look Like New
Once the business owner has all the furniture they need for their outdoor seating or eating space, it is time to refurbish it as needed to blend. Even if the furniture was purchased at several different places and might be in different colors, there are ways to make it all look like one set.
- Replace all the seat covers with matching fabric for a more unified look.
- Repaint metal or painted furniture with all the same or coordinated paint colors.
- Wood and wicker furniture should be cleaned with mild soap and water, dried, and coated with a lightweight wood sealant or oil depending on the type of wood.
Remember, the customers will not know if the furniture was purchased new or bought used and refurbished.
