If you need to put new seats in your restaurant or if you need to reupholster your existing fitouts, you don't necessarily need to go to a restaurant specialist. Surprisingly, many automobile upholstery professionals also do restaurant upholstery. There can be an advantage to seeking out these professionals. Here's why you may want to consider taking that route.
1. Experienced With Durable Upholstery
Auto upholstery specialists work with upholstery that has to withstand hours of use. In Sydney, for example, the average commuter spends an hour and a half per day in their car, and that doesn't take into account driving for holidays, running errands, or taking children to and from school. Car upholstery gets a lot of use, which helps these upholsterers understand the intense usage that happens in restaurants as well.
2. Knowledgeable About Waterproof Fabrics
Most auto upholsterers also work with marine vehicles. When they reupholster boats, they have to ensure the fabric is waterproof and that the installation is watertight. In restaurants, spills happen, and if you want to protect your furniture from moisture, you may want to work with an upholsterer who is knowledgeable about and experienced with these fabrics.
In contrast, if you worked with an upholsterer who primarily focuses on residential furniture, they may not have as much first hand experience with waterproofing.
3. Used to Working in Tight Spaces
If your restaurant has custom fitouts, small booths or chairs with unique angles, an auto upholsterer is uniquely positioned to meet those challenges. These professionals don't just work on sofas with straightforward lines. Instead, they are used to getting into nooks and crannies and working with odd-shaped pieces.
Depending on your needs, some auto upholstery specialists can come and do the work in your restaurant, and in other cases, they can take the fitouts to their shops and complete the work there.
4. Experts with a Different Perspective
When you work with someone who exclusively does upholstery for restaurant fitouts, you get someone who is an expert in that field, but in some cases, you need something different. You need someone who can bring standout ideas to the table.
In particular, an automobile upholstery may also be able to draw thematic elements into the upholstery. For instance, if you want to invoke the sense of a certain era, the upholster could let you know what was popular with cars from that era and use that information to help inform your decision.
