How to Enhance the Campus Dining Experience With Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor picnic table in the grass on a campus

| Mar 22, 2024

While both indoor and outdoor seating are crucial for any campus or school, you can see incredible benefits when you optimize student meal experiences by enhancing your outdoor cafeterias and dining areas. One of the most practical and noticeable ways of improving your school’s outdoor dining area is investing in quality outdoor furniture — dependable, low-maintenance furniture that can withstand the elements.

The Benefits of Outdoor Furniture for Campus Dining

As students and faculty navigate busy days, they seek areas where they can take a break and grab a bite to eat. When the weather is nice, nothing sounds better than doing both in an outdoor space. With a well-thought-out outdoor cafeteria, you can help patrons relax in a comfortable spot as they fuel up for the rest of the day and get some fresh air.

The right outdoor furniture can help you create a perfect spot. Here’s how:

1. Enhances the Dining Experience

When staff and students have the option of dining outside, the environment is often more relaxed — even if it’s still just as busy as the indoor cafeteria. An outdoor dining area with comfortable furniture provides a relaxing environment with open space and fresh air. Additionally, quality outdoor furniture encourages gathering outside to make meal times more enjoyable.

2. Creates Diverse Dining Options 

By today’s standards, the more options you can provide, the better. Having diverse dining options available for your students, staff and guests means you can meet more people’s needs. If it’s a beautiful day and people want to enjoy lunch outside, they might be disappointed when you offer minimal outdoor dining furniture. With options to eat indoors and outdoors, you work to accommodate everyone and meet their dining preferences.

3. Lowers Congestion

Whether your college or university has a small or large population, dining areas can become overcrowded as students and faculty grab meals throughout the day, especially during peak eating hours. With outdoor dining options, you can help streamline the flow between eating spaces. As a result, more people will spread out across eating areas, reducing congestion and preventing overcrowding.

4. Optimizes Space

Most school campuses have outdoor spaces, though they’re not always used to their fullest potential. Optimize your outdoor spaces by adding outdoor furniture and converting them into beautiful, functional dining areas. With functional outdoor eating spaces, you add value to your campus and make the most of areas that may not serve a purpose otherwise. 

5. Improves the Look of the Campus

If you want to elevate the appearance of your outdoor cafeteria, investing in quality outdoor furniture is the way to go. The right outdoor furniture will complement your campus’s appearance. With outdoor furniture customization options, you can even install options that align with your school colors and logo, creating a seamless look that promotes your brand.

6. Allows Students and Faculty to Spend More Time Outside

There’s no denying that spending time outside has major benefits for physical and mental health, including less stress, improved moods and better concentration. The sights, smells and scents of nature are pleasing, stimulating and immersive, creating a beneficial sensory experience for campus-goers.

With access to comfortable outdoor dining furniture, everyone on your campus has a way to spend more time outside. As a result, they can reap the benefits of relaxing in nature, whether they’re taking a quick snack break between lectures or enjoying lunch on the weekend with friends.

7. Contributes to Social Interactions

A significant part of the college or university experience is meeting new people and spending time with friends. When people can relax, talk and eat in a comfortable space, socialization is simpler — big tables with plenty of seats encourage friends to meet up and eat together. Plus, students walking by the outdoor dining space might spot people they know and stop by to chat, and the outdoor dining space then becomes a social hub.

Assessing Outdoor Furniture Requirements for Your Cafeteria 

Before you look into outdoor furniture options for your new dining area, you should assess your needs and the space’s requirements. For example, you may look at the following points:

  • Space requirements: Consider the exact dimensions of the outdoor dining area so you know how much furniture you can fit and what size the furniture should be.
  • Potential growth: While you shouldn’t invest in extra furniture you don’t need, you should add enough furniture plus a bit more to ensure you can accommodate enough people. It’s also important to plan your space with the future in mind. If your student population grows in the next few years, you should be able to accommodate that growth easily.
  • Layout: Look into how you can establish flow and create a sense of space. For example, you should place tables with enough space between them so everyone can navigate the dining area seamlessly.
  • Multiple uses: Make the most of your outdoor furniture by finding ways to use it beyond a dining space. Depending on how you want to arrange the space, you may divide it so students can access seating for dining, socializing and studying.
  • Customization options: Gone are the days when outdoor dining furniture was limited to bulky concrete slabs as tables and chairs. Now, student comfort in outdoor cafeterias is a top priority, and customizable furniture options help achieve that. Work with a brand that allows you to configure your furniture selection to provide the best options for your students.

What to Look for in Quality Outdoor Furniture

Knowing how to identify quality outdoor furniture can help you make a more informed investment for your dining area — after all, you want to invest in only the most durable and comfortable options for your school. Look at these characteristics, including accessibility, comfort and sustainability, to find superior, long-lasting pieces:

Ergonomics and Comfort

Ergonomic outdoor furniture provides a high level of comfort and ease of use. There are different characteristics that can make outdoor furniture ergonomic:

  • Structural design: A piece of furniture’s structure can tell you how ergonomic it is. In chairs, you can look for backrests with structural support and designs that imitate the body’s natural curve to help support the spine. Look at the contours of the armrests and additional features, such as the reclining elements that help support the body’s natural positions and movements. Similarly, tables should allow room for the legs and be at a comfortable height for college campus outdoor dining or studying.
  • Mobility: Mobility is a considerable part of enhancing dining with campus furniture — when students can quickly move chairs and adjust tables to create better eating and studying experiences, they’ll be more likely to use the space. Look for furniture pieces that have a sturdy but lightweight construction that makes them easy to move when you need to rearrange the layout.

Durability and Maintenance

Weather resistance is one of the most vital characteristics to look for when purchasing outdoor furniture. Outdoor furniture is constantly exposed to the elements. Whether it’s sun exposure, dust, rain or moisture, the pieces need to withstand the environment and maintain their longevity. Choosing a durable material like recycled plastic is wise.

Another important consideration when choosing materials is that your furniture will be easy to maintain. While you must always take steps to care for your furniture, you can look for low-maintenance options with quality finishes that are easy to keep in good condition.

Sustainability and Eco-Friendliness

Sustainability is becoming highly important across industries, including furniture design. If you value choosing eco-friendly options for your outdoor dining space, look for furniture made from responsibly sourced materials. For example, materials like PolyTuf are made from 95% recycled plastic, offering incredibly durable features while being a responsible choice.

Design

While furniture’s primary purpose is functionality, quality outdoor furniture seamlessly combines practicality with visual appeal. For your outdoor campus dining space, you can consider pieces that align with surrounding buildings’ designs or choose pieces that work with your school colors. Either way, you want to ensure the furniture you choose looks great and isn’t distracting.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

One of the most effective ways you can create a student-friendly outdoor dining area is by choosing furniture that is accessible and inclusive for students of all abilities. Having a selection of seating options is important to accommodate everyone.

Look for versatile furniture you can easily move or rearrange for better accessibility and inclusion. Different elements can make furniture more inclusive, including the ability to adjust pieces to varying heights and to recline seats. Also, choose ADA-accessible furniture that accommodates students with mobility devices.

Outdoor Furniture to Elevate Your Cafeteria and Dining Areas

Outdoor furniture in campus dining can take on many different forms. There are all kinds of furniture pieces you can include in your campus’s outdoor dining space, including:

  • Picnic tables: Picnic tables can optimize space well, allowing groups to study and eat together. They work with a variety of space requirements and are generally easy to maintain. Look for commercial ADA-accessible picnic tables to ensure wheelchair users have access to tables and comfortable seating options in communal dining spaces.
  • Dining sets: Dining sets are versatile options, as they come in a range of designs. They are also easy to arrange according to your space requirements and can create a sense of flow that truly elevates the dining area.
  • Umbrellas: Complete your outdoor furniture setup by making the space usable any time of day with umbrellas. Look for quality umbrellas that will provide sufficient shelter from the sun or rain. You also want heavy-duty umbrellas that can withstand the elements and will not easily rust or corrode.
  • Trash receptacles: Keep your dining areas clean and tidy by providing sufficient trash receptacles. You can opt for receptacles that match the color of your dining furniture to add to the visual appeal of the space.
  • Outdoor benches: Consider further maximizing your outdoor space by adding outdoor benches in areas around the dining space. Nothing quite elevates the look of your outdoor areas like a bench under a shady tree.
  • Accessories: Accessories are important for rounding out your outdoor dining area and making it as practical as possible. Consider grills and even bike rack loops to maximize the full potential of the dining area.

Frequently Asked Questions

At Wabash Valley Site Furnishings, we offer an array of outdoor furniture options for colleges, universities and schools. The answers to these frequently asked questions provide insight into what you can expect from our furniture:

How Can You Customize Furniture to Match Your School’s Look and Logo? 

At Wabash Valley, we offer a variety of outdoor furniture designs, including modern styles. We also go above and beyond to provide extra services, including the option to embellish the products you choose with your school’s logo. You can always speak to one of our friendly representatives to discuss potential color schemes and configuration options.

Does Wabash Valley Furnishings Offer Special Pricing on Outdoor Furniture for Schools?

We are proud to cater to schools and universities of varying sizes. We consider your needs and serve your establishment by offering special bulk pricing on our high-quality furniture, no matter the size of your college or school.

Are Wabash Valley Furnishings Products Durable and Easy to Maintain? 

Our furniture is designed and built to last. We know what it takes to ensure outdoor furniture withstands the elements, and we construct and test our products for durability and include special finishes for stain and water resistance. You can also rest assured you can use our furniture year-round — you do not need to store the furniture away or go to any extra lengths to prevent the furniture from warping, rusting or cracking apart from standard care.

Premium Outdoor Furniture From Wabash Valley Site Furnishings

Having a comfortable, practical and visually pleasing outdoor dining area is only possible with the right outdoor furniture. You can rely on Wabash Valley Furnishings for premium furniture solutions for college dining, knowing that we have 30 years of experience in the industry and go above and beyond to meet the highest standards for durability and comfort. 

At Wabash Valley Site Furnishings, we know how quality outdoor furniture and site amenities can improve your school’s dining areas, which is why we have solutions to meet your school’s specific requirements. With a range of furniture and styles to choose from, you can find the right match for your campus or school and enhance the dining experience for everyone

Explore our range of outdoor furniture and site amenities today and see how you can transform your outside dining spaces.