Guides / Specification sheet

Writing a specification sheet for restaurant dining chairs that a factory cannot misread

In short: A specification sheet fails when it leaves a number to be assumed. The seat height, the table underside, the foam density, the fabric abrasion figure and the carton marking all have to be numbers on the page.

Lead time

45–70 days door to door

Sampling

15 days, no sampling fee

MOQ

6 pcs per model

Load rating

150 kg whole-chair static

Custom sizes

No upcharge, no tooling fee

The numbers that must appear

For restaurant dining chairs, the sheet needs: overall dimensions, seat height, finished surface height and the underside height beneath it, frame material and section, foam density, fabric or leather reference with an abrasion figure, finish type and sheen, and carton marking. Anything written as 'standard' will be whatever the factory had in stock.

The target specification for a restaurant is 450–460 mm seat height, 150 kg whole-chair static load. If your sheet does not state it, you have not specified it — you have described it.

Drawings beat descriptions

Send a drawing with dimensions on it, even a rough one. A dimensioned sketch removes the argument that follows a delivery in which the seat height is 20 mm out. Photographs and adjectives do not.

Mark the critical dimensions — the ones that cannot move — separately from the ones that can. A factory will protect the ones you mark and interpret the rest.

Approval, revision and change control

Every revision gets a number and a date, and production starts against a named revision. Without that, the third email in a thread becomes the specification, and nobody can prove which one was agreed.

One round of revision at sampling is normal and should be free. A second round is also normal; a fifth means the sheet was not finished before the sample was ordered, and the calendar is being spent on specification work that should have happened first.

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.

Packing, freight terms and the small print

Export packing for restaurant dining chairs means corner protection on every carton, a moisture barrier inside, and the model and quantity marked outside. Terms are normally FOB Shenzhen or Guangzhou; CIF and door delivery are quoted on request, and the freight is quoted separately so that it stays visible rather than being buried in the unit price.

Ask which port and which forwarder before you sign. A factory that quotes FOB without naming the port has not yet checked whether your container can be loaded there.

Where this fits on our own range

Our curved back dining chairs, upholstered restaurant chairs and restaurant dining chairs 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-C062 wood dining chair and the JP-C022 metal 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.

How is an order for restaurant dining chairs packed for export?

Corner protection on every carton, a moisture barrier inside, and the model and quantity marked outside. Packed volume is 1 pc per carton, 0.18–0.24 cbm.

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

request a restaurant furniture quote — foshanrestaurant.com
restaurant furniture quality control — foshanrestaurant.com