Frequently asked questions
Questions buyers ask before they order
Buyers write to us with the same questions in much the same order: how long, how much freight, who unloads the truck, what happens if something is wrong. The answers below are short enough to scan, and where a topic has a page of its own, the answer points to it.
How long does an order take?
Between 14 and 21 business days is the lead time for standard pieces. Custom work (covers beyond the offered list, finishes or stains made to order, sizes or shapes beyond the standard range) stretches to about 8 weeks, with transit still to come. That transit figure is an estimate; it is never a promised date. If the room has an opening night, write the date in the order notes so the person reading your order sees it. The delivery page covers the rest of the schedule.
What does freight cost, and when do I see it?
Freight is never inside the price of the furniture. Pieces travel palletized by LTL carrier, and each delivery address is quoted on its own. A person reads your order first. Then we email the confirmation: the final lines, the freight quote for every address and the payment instructions. Nothing is charged before you have seen all three. If you would rather use your company's carrier account, tell us when you submit.
Is a liftgate included, and what about residential delivery?
The truck brings the pallets to a business address and stops at the dock or the tailgate. Unloading, and carrying the furniture inside, belong to your crew. A liftgate, delivery inside the building, limited access (any restricted site, such as a school, hospital, church or base) and residential delivery are extra services. You book them when you submit the order, and each one is charged extra. No dock at the address? Ask for the liftgate. A home? Ask for residential delivery. A driver will not take freight up or down a flight of stairs.
Does it arrive assembled?
Plan on your own crew or an installer for three jobs: opening the cartons, putting pieces together and hauling off the packaging. None of them is part of the delivery. Booths are built to order from the options listed, which makes the wall measurement the thing to get right before you submit. If you want to know how a particular piece comes out of its carton, email us the item and we will tell you.
When do I pay, and how?
The site takes no money, and submitting an order charges nothing. Once the review and the freight confirmation are done, an invoice follows with the payment instructions. You can pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express, by check or money order, or by wire transfer. A standard order is paid before it ships. A custom order asks for 40% up front, with the rest due ahead of delivery.
Is there a minimum order?
Eight pieces, counting tables and chairs together in whatever mix suits the room. Booths sit outside the rule, so a single booth can be ordered alone. On the order, one configuration makes one line, so the same chair in two finishes takes up two. A big order may arrive in several loads; at your door, each one is counted and inspected the same way. Leave floor space to stage them.
Do you take purchase order numbers and tax-exempt orders?
Both are welcome. A purchase order number belongs in the order notes. A business that is tax-exempt, or buying for resale, says so in the notes when it sends the order. Since a person reads those notes, they are also the place to name the room or the location the furniture is for.
Can I get samples before ordering?
They cost nothing. Table top materials, metal finishes, wood stains and finishes, and upholstery swatches are all sent free; ask on the samples page. The parcel travels UPS Ground, which commonly takes two to three business days, and an email confirms the request within one business day. Look at everything in the room itself, at night, with the lights at dinner level.
Can you upholster in something that is not on the list?
Write to us before you order, with the item, the material and the quantity. A cover from outside the listed options makes the piece a custom item. It runs as long as about 8 weeks, it asks for a 40% deposit, and confirmation makes it final: it can be neither cancelled nor returned. Hold a sample in your hand first.
Which seat height goes with which table?
Start from the surface. For a dining table of 29 to 30 inches, choose a seat between 17 and 19 inches. For a counter near 34 to 36 inches, choose a stool between 24 and 26. For a bar near 40 to 42, choose between 29 and 31. Whichever you pick, 10 to 12 inches should separate the seat from the top above it. Measure the counter you have rather than the one on the drawing.
Can chairs and tables go outdoors?
Look for a patio listing. The pieces made for outside are coated steel, aluminum, resin and synthetic teak. Put an indoor chair outside, wood-framed or upholstered, and it will fade, swell or rust; the warranty does not extend to that damage. Even a patio piece needs a rinse, ground that drains, and a cover, or a place indoors, once the season is over. The outdoor category holds the pieces that qualify.
How do I clean vinyl and fabric?
For vinyl, a cloth with mild soapy water does the job, followed by a dry cloth; keep bleach, solvents and alcohol-based products off it, because they damage the surface. Where a fabric carries a cleaning code, read it before choosing a cleaner: W allows water-based cleaners, S calls for solvents, W/S takes either, and X means vacuum only. The warranty won't cover damage from a cleaner that is wrong for the material. The materials guide goes through wood, metal and stone as well.
Can we mix finishes in one room?
Yes, when the mix is deliberate. Hold one thing constant, such as the frame color or the wood stain, and let the rest vary. Colors with similar names can differ on the wall, so judge by swatches laid side by side, not by the name on a list.
How do I add to a room I furnished before?
Confirm the color against a new swatch before you reorder anything. Color lists for finishes and upholstery shift over the years, and a new chair beside an old booth shows any drift on the first night. Your earlier confirmation email records the order, and a seating plan keeps the configurations you saved, in the browser where you made it. Prices saved in a plan are worked out again from the current catalog when you move it to the basket.
Do you serve Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico?
Delivery covers the continental United States and, beyond it, most of Canada. Canadian shipments clear customs through your own broker, and what that costs (brokerage, duties, Canadian taxes) is the buyer's. For Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, a large order can sometimes be delivered. Write up the details in the specialist form first; the route and the cost are then confirmed to you in writing.
What do I do if freight arrives damaged?
Before the driver leaves, check what came against the bill of lading: pallets first, then cartons. On that document, write down every carton that is damaged or missing before you sign. When a complete check isn't possible at the dock, your signature should carry the words "subject to inspection". Photograph the damage, and keep the packaging until the claim is settled. Damage you find only after unpacking, which is concealed damage, must be reported within 24 hours. Missing pieces and defects need a written report to us inside three days of receipt. We'll help put the carrier claim together.
Can I return or cancel an order?
You can cancel in writing until the order starts production or is packed; after either, the return terms apply. Stock pieces may come back at a cost of 35% of the returned value, a restocking fee that also applies when a stock item is cancelled after packing and before it ships. Freight is yours in both directions. The pieces must be unused and in their original cartons, and you pack and palletize them. A damaged return earns no credit. Write first, with the order reference, the lines, the quantities and the reason: nothing goes back before a written reply. The returns page has the full terms.
What is covered by the warranty?
We stand behind materials and workmanship. A defect that was there at delivery is covered, for the original purchaser in normal commercial use. Coverage lasts anywhere from 6 months to 7 years, set by the kind of piece. If something is wrong, tell us within three days of receipt, with photos. We repair, replace or credit the purchase price, at our option. The warranty page lists the periods.
Can I change an order after sending it?
Write as early as you can. Once an order is confirmed, we have to agree to any change in writing, whether it touches quantity, configuration or delivery, and a change can bring freight and restocking charges with it. A custom line that is already in production can't be changed.
How soon will someone reply?
We answer between 8 AM and 6 PM Central Time, Monday to Friday. Anything sent outside those hours waits its turn until the next business day, and every message and order gets its reply within one business day. Write to sales@restaurantfurniture.online. In the subject line, lead with ORDER, FREIGHT or CLAIM, and give the project name next.