A cafe or coffee shop is not just all coffee and bread, it’s the overall presentation. From the shop’s interior design to the cafe chairs and glassware used, everything is carefully planned to provide the customer that calm, relaxing experience. It’s great to know that every time you sip on your cappuccino or mocha frappe you are being treated to utmost comfort and ease.

Cafe table and chairs follow this tradition. Cafe owners often go out of their way to look for the best-designed and comfortable chairs and tables, completing that quintessential cafe ambiance. Cafe table chairs are meticulously screened and chosen based on their style and functionality.

Do you know that the familiar rounded cafe chair you see inside coffee shops and bistros has a name? It is called the No.14 chair, and it is specially designed for these establishments. The No.14 chairs, also known as 214 chairs, are made by Thonet, a company that designs cafe chairs and tables. Though many think they are French cafe chairs, they are actually Austrian-made. They were designed by the company’s founder, Michael Thonet, during the late 1800s, but are still being manufactured and distributed today.

The No. 14 chair is crafted in a classic elegant design. The circular seat is supported by four sleek legs, while the back is rounded and adjusted to support a person’s natural curves. A palm/cane weave is used as the seat’s cushion, which allows any liquid spilled to drain easily. This design has been a trademark of the company and has, since its debut during the 1800s, received numerous accolades and awards.

If the design of these cafe chairs is not impressive enough, then maybe the simplicity of the chairs’ craftsmanship is. The no. 14 chair consists of only eight pieces of wood, two nuts, and ten screws. Beechwood is used primarily as material. They are heated to around a hundred degrees Centigrade, allowing the slats to bend, and then drying the slats at around 70 degrees. The manufacturing of these chairs is so simple that even unskilled workers can assemble them within a few minutes.

The No.14 chair has been made and distributed millions of times to coffee shops and bistros worldwide.

If you frequent coffee shops there’s a good chance you may have sat on one yourself. These cafe chairs have come from a long tradition of dedication and innovation. The next time you visit a coffee shop and see one of these chairs, sit down for a moment, feel the chair’s comfortable presence, and revel in the fact that you’re sitting on a piece of furniture history.