Restaurant Bench Cushions Replaced
The managers and staff at Sabrina's Cafe - a busy eatery in Collingswood, NJ - saw that their original bench seating cushions needed to be replaced and upgraded. The stretched fabric and crushed foam padding were uncomfortable and unattractive.
Also, the cushions were not attached to the benches, so they tended to slide and bunch as customers scooted in behind the tables.
Getting A Cushion Replacement Estimate
When they called us, we arranged a time when we could go to the cafe to get some rough measurements.
After visiting, we made some suggestions about the materials and style of the replacement bench cushions. One was to use a thicker and more resilient grade of foam. Another was to use a classic boxed style construction with corded seams to keep the fabric from rolling away from the edge of the foam.
We gave them a cushion fabrication estimate for 95 feet of cushions with the corded construction, premium urethane foam and fire-rated dacron padding. We estimated 45 yards of fabric would be required - price based upon final selection.
Selecting A Cushion Fabric
The restaurant owners continually emphasized they they wanted a Sunbrella type of fabric - widely known as cleanable and stain resistant.
At this early stage, they were not sure of the pattern or design of the fabric for the new cushions.
'Fresh' and 'modern' were key terms describing the desired options. We sent samples from an array of fabric providers, including those offering the Sunbrella choices, patterned vinyls, and other suitable contract fabric types.
They decided to stick with the simple black and white stripe similar to the old cushions. The choices narrowed - a lot!
We found 7 suitable fabrics in black and white stripe. We recommended away from the Sunbrella option, because it had lower durability ratings than several other fabrics with similar stain repelling qualities.
The final fabric choice went to Charlotte Fabric's 2489 Midnight Canopy from their Indoor | Outdoor Oasis fabric line.
Was the selection based on durability? No.
Was it based on stain resistance? Nope.
The fabric was picked because it had narrow 2 inch stripes instead of 4 inches or 6 inches.
However, it is a solution dyed acrylic fabric with the soap-and-water cleanability of Sunbrella. And a durability rating of 140,000 double rubs versus the 15,000 of the next nearest option.
And it costs less than Sunbrella or Crypton. Design and price! What a win!
Revising the Cushion Estimate
Adding the fabric cost to the initial fabrication estimate gave the owners a decision budget.
They gave us the go ahead - and we went back to get exact measurements on all the bench seats. One was circular and a few had odd angles, so we made templates for those.
We also worked out a way to use velcro strips along the back edge to keep the cushions from sliding around. This let them have attached cushions and still use both sides.
With the final measurements, we found a nice surprise for the owners. We would make 90 feet of cushions instead of 95, and use 5 yards less of fabric - so the actual cost would be less!
Cost of the Replacement Bench Cushions
We installed the new cushions between their lunch and dinner rushes. The staff sat down on them before we attached the Velcro! They liked that they could plop down without feeling the hard wooden seat.
The final cost worked out as:
- Fabrication: $3,457 (2" urethane foam, Dacron padding wrap, boxed construction with corded seams and zipper closure)
- Velcro attachment: $220.
- Fabric: $1,167.20 (40 yards Charlotte 2489 midnight canopy $38.90/yd less 25% = 29.18/yd)
Total cushion replacement cost: $4,844.20
By the way, if you are ever in Collingswood, NJ or don't mind travelling there (map), you should stop at Sabrina's and indulge in their wonderful menu. We previewed their offerings when we went there to measure and then went back to eat at lunchtime (yes, we sat on the old cushions). GREAT FOOD! Really - we were delighted.
The furniture workshop of JH Conklin & Co. upholsters furniture for people and businesses throughout Southern New Jersey, Delaware, Philadelphia metro and the southern shore areas. The workshop also provides custom window treatment and fabric resources.
Our general service area includes: Gloucester County, Camden County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Atlantic County, Cumberland County, Salem County, NJ; Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia county in Pennsylvania; and New Castle County DE. #NJupholstery