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Why two quotations for the same restaurant dining chairs differ by 30%
In short: The difference is almost never profit. It is material grade, joint construction, finish system, packing and the honest inclusion of freight — five lines that are easy to leave out and expensive to discover later.
The six lines that make up a unit price
Every factory price for restaurant dining chairs decomposes into material, labour, hardware, surface finishing, packing, and overhead plus margin. Ask for the price broken into those six lines and the comparison between suppliers becomes possible. Most quotations arrive as one number, which is exactly why they cannot be compared.
Material is where the biggest legitimate spread sits. Solid ash and rubberwood are both 'solid wood'; one costs roughly twice the other. Neither is wrong for a restaurant, but a quote that does not name the species is a quote for whichever was cheaper that month.
Where a cheap quotation hides its savings
A price 30% below the others usually saves on four things: thinner section timber, fewer coats of finish, no corner protection in packing, and a seat foam density that collapses within a year. None of those show in a photo, and all of them show in service.
The one that costs the most is foam density. Seat foam below about 35 kg/m³ in a restaurant loses its recovery under daily use, and a chair with a collapsed seat is scrapped regardless of how good the frame is.
What should never be negotiable
Three lines should not move: the joint construction, the finish system and the packing. Everything else — dimensions, fabric, colour, quantity per model — can be discussed. If a supplier is willing to discount by removing corner protection, the discount is being paid for by the freight claim.
The practical move is to ask each supplier to quote the same written specification rather than their own. Send the specification with the enquiry and the quotations collapse towards each other, because they are finally answering the same question.
Inspection before shipment
Inspection should cover four things: dimensions against the drawing, the finish under raking light rather than from a metre away, the joint tightness on a random unit, and the carton marking against the packing list. Photograph each one. An inspection report without photographs is a report of an opinion.
The check that gets skipped is the carton count against the order. It is also the one that produces the shortfall claim, three weeks later, when the container is already at destination.
Sampling, and what the sample is for
A physical sample takes about 15 days and carries no sampling fee; the courier is on the buyer's account. The sample is not a formality — it is the only point at which the seat height, the finish and the fabric can be checked together before a production run exists.
Keep the approved sample, or a signed photograph of it with the finish and fabric references written on the back. When the production run arrives, that sample is the specification. Without it, the comparison becomes a memory.
What happens after delivery
Two things cause most after-delivery problems: settlement in the first weeks, and a finish that does not survive the cleaning chemical the venue actually uses. Both are preventable. Let the furniture settle in its final room for a few days before final positioning, and ask for the cleaning instruction in writing with the cleaning agent named.
Replacements and spare parts ship with the next order rather than as a single parcel, which keeps the cost of a small claim proportionate. Tell the factory what failed and send a photograph; a joint that opened in service is information the next run can use.
Where this fits on our own range
Our metal restaurant chairs, commercial restaurant seating and restaurant armchairs are built to the same drawing discipline, so the numbers above apply there without translation. These are the pages the same workshop builds to, so the dimensions, finishes and load ratings discussed above apply directly rather than in principle.
Two models built to the specification discussed above are the JP-C057 metal dining chair and the JP-C046 wood dining chair; both are quoted against your drawing rather than a stock size.
Frequently asked questions
Can the dimensions be changed?
Yes. Every model can be re-dimensioned, and the price basis does not change. The requirement is that the final dimensions are confirmed on the drawing before production, because a custom size is a new structure.
Is there a minimum order for restaurant dining chairs?
The MOQ is 6 pcs per model. Custom dimensions and custom fabrics carry no upcharge and no tooling fee.
What is the lead time for restaurant dining chairs?
Sampling takes about 15 days and production 15–30 days after the approved sample, so plan on 45–70 days from drawing approval to a container at your door, including transit and customs.
Sources and further reading
- commercial restaurant furniture — foshanrestaurant.com
- custom restaurant furniture — foshanrestaurant.com