Eatery furniture confirms obesity trend (Fat America)

Washington Times ^ | 23 may 2005

[demlosers]

Chicago, IL, May. 23 (UPI) -- Furniture makers are selling bigger chairs and tables to U.S. restaurants, an apparent accommodation to growing customers.

The National Restaurant Association's four-day conference in Chicago featured numerous displays of supersized furniture for supersized diners, the Dallas Morning News reported Monday.

"The other (traditionally sized) ones can be uncomfortable," said Bob Murphy, vice president of systems and technology for Chili's Grill & Bar, the flagship chain of Dallas-based Brinker International Inc. "When you sit at them, they're too small."

Chili's has begun testing more spacious eating spaces and was looking at installing tables up to 12 inches larger at future Chili's outlets, he said.

One chair manufacturer said his company is rethinking size -- as in making products bigger -- because customers are bigger.

"Let's face it, America has an obesity problem," said Jerry Falk of Foldcraft Co. of Minnesota.

[SIDENET]

"Let's face it, America has an obesity problem,"

Why be so negative? There are positive aspects to being "large".

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Americans must lose weight and stop smoking or quit complaining about the rising cost of health care.

I think health care costs and insurance should be pro-rated on a person's fat content.

[Servant of the 9]

I am not sure that a lot of this isn't just a change in style.

Almost no one is as big as most furniture sold today.

I am waaay overweight, but I have trouble finding living room furniture that is small enough to suit me. You would have to be seven feet tall and weigh five hundred pounds to fit most of it.
Two of us my size, 5'9" 230lb can fit side by side in the dining room chairs at the Country Club. There is not a single member big enough to fill one.

It's style, bad style, not fat asses that is determining furniture sizes.

So9

[Tax-chick]

Chili's has begun testing more spacious eating spaces and was looking at installing tables up to 12 inches larger at future Chili's outlets, he said.

Good. The largest members of my family are average-sized (except when I'm about to have a baby), and we can't sit comfortably in lots of restaurants. Leave some room between the tables, while you're at it!

[Graybeard58]

Your tag line:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1425850/posts

[Tax-chick]

Thanks for the ping ... I hadn't heard that the Duggars are expecting again. I guess I'll never catch up :-).

[Gabz]

Instead of "smoking or non" are they now going to be asking patrons "regular or super seating"?????????

[Gabz]

Leave some room between the tables, while you're at it!

I totally agree..........I'm a bit on the "skinny" side and often can not squeeze into a seat in a restaurant because the tables are so close together.

[Tax-chick]

There are several places I won't go because you can't move around. It's just not worth the trouble - especially when it's so much cheaper to eat at home!

[Gabz]

I'm totally with you, I've got a few of those places on my list as well :)

[proxy_user]

But aren't patrons at certain restaurants self-selected?

The bigger you are, the more likely you are to eat at some of these places.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Baby Boomer's butts are just growing wider. It's a demographic fact which no amount of Food Nazi-ism is going to change. The waitress will be happy to provide a cute little chair riser for you pencilneck types.

Live with it.