Restaurant Booth Height and Depth

Restaurant Booths are generally made from scratch and can be made into any height, depth, width, and shape needed. Adjusting a height and depth can make a big impact on your seating privacy, space, and style.

How Tall are Restaurant Booths?

Restaurant booth height can range from 36” for casual dining to 84” wall covering booths. One of the most common heights of a Restaurant Booth is 42”. From this height you will receive semi privacy and will not make restaurant feel crowded. For reference, when a 5’ 10” person is sitting on a 42” Tall booth, the booth will cover up their shoulders. 

Here is a list of popular restaurant booth height options.

• Casual Seating 36” Tall Booth – Popular in nightclubs, residential use, and small casual dining establishments where you need the space to feel open and sociable.
• Semi-Privacy 42” Tall Booth - The most popular choice, as it fully supports an adult male to the shoulders (making for comfortable seating) while leaving line of sight around the restaurant free. This is a good option if you want the restaurant to feel open or have a more communal feel, while still giving each table privacy.
• Privacy 48” Tall Booth - This is best if you want to offer plenty of privacy but not make booths feel enclosed.
• Extra Privacy 54” Tall Booth – This height can be the ideal choice for restaurants that want to grant their customers plenty of privacy or for a particular section of the restaurant where you want to block the sight of something, such as near the kitchens or bathrooms.

What is the Standard Size of a Restaurant Booth? 

A standard 2-seater restaurant booth is 48” long by 24” deep. This is a very common size of restaurant booth because it fits 2 people comfortably and does not take up a lot of room. Because it is a standard size, you will be able to find a matching 48” long or 4’ table in many styles such as wood, laminate, stone, stainless steel and more.  

How much space do you need for a Restaurant Booth?

Depending on the quantity of tables, available space, and number of visitors you want to serve, singles and doubles can be paired to accommodate your needs.

A standard set up of 2 Singles and 1 Table in the middle will take up approximately 74” of space by 48” deep. This is assuming you want standard 4’ foot 2-seater booth. For 3 seaters and more, the depth will change.

If you have more than 74” of space, you can push booth table away from booth to create more comfortable space. It is recommended to have no more than 78” to 80” or the table will become too far from the seat forcing the visitor to lean forward when dining.  

How wide is a 2 person booth? 

A 2 person booth is 48” or 4’ feet long. This creates a 24” of space per person which is a little more than a standard dining chair offers. This size is standard and provides comfort without using unnecessary dining space.   

In case you have limited space, a 2 person booth can also be made 42” Wide. This is the minimum width recommended that will still provide comfort. A 42” wide two seater booth will provide 21” of space for each person sitting.    

Restaurant Booth and Seat Depth Options

A standard restaurant booth has an overall depth of 24”. This is a combination of 18” seat depth and 6” overall back rest depth. This is a common booth measurement that you will find in almost any restaurant you visit. The 18” seat depth resembles a common depth you will find in a dining chair while the back provides an incline that gives the visitor comfort but does not take up too much space in your restaurant. It is a classic measurement that serves visitor with comfort and saves dining space.     

Another depth you will find is 26" overall depth. This is a combination of 6” back rest and 20” seat depth. This style of booth is more of a comfortable lounge style booth that is popular in nightclubs, bars, hotels, and relaxed and casual style dining areas. Sometimes customers will combine this style of seating with throw pillows that can be removed when necessary. 

In situations where you are limited in dining space, you can customize the depth of booth to fit by reducing some of the incline to reduce the overall depth of booth. For example, an upright restaurant booth with a 3” of back rest combined with standard 18” seat depth will have a total depth of 21”. This is not always comfortable and in our experience customers either love them or hate them as preference will vary.  This is only recommended if it will offer extra seating area on an already tight space.

How Deep is a Restaurant Booth? 

The standard seat depth of a Restaurant Booth is 18" and is the most used for dining. A Restaurant Booth with more of a lounge feel has a seat depth of 20" and it is commonly used in Nightclubs, Hotels, Breakrooms, and lounge style diners. Another popular depth with extra lounge feel is 22" to 24" Seat Depth. This depth takes up the most dining space and is usually pared with throw pillows to compensate for the excess depth. In comparison, a restaurant booth with a seat depth of 22" will be the same as a common seat depth of a Residential Sofa.

When space is limited, you might be tempted to reduce the depth of the restaurant booth seat to save space or to stay under a specific depth that is shorter than standard booth depth. This is not recommended in most cases because shorter seat depth will not change the space from the back to the knee of a visitor. Visitors with longer legs will require the same seating space no matter what they sit on. 

Restaurant Booth Seat Height Options

The most common seat height is 18” from floor to top of seat. This height same as most of the dining chairs you will find in the industry and requires a dining table height of 30” from floor to top of table. This table height is also very common and will be found in almost any restaurant you visit.

In instances where a variation of height is incorporated into the floor plan, a 26” counter seat height can be accomplished by adding an 8” tall base to elevate the booth’s overall height. This counter height requires a 36” tall counter high table to match.

A popular seat height in bars and nightclubs is 30” Tall. This height is considered bar high and will require a 42” Bar High table to match. This height is popular in locations where most of the crowd is walking or standing most of the time. It allows the person sitting to be at eye level with the crowd towering over them as they sit. A bar height booth with a seat that is 30" tall will require a foot rest or step box to help you climb onto booth.