Diner Booth Lead Time and Shipping: How Vinyl Booths and Chrome-Edge Tables Get to Your US Restaurant

Short answer: Diner booths, chrome-edged tables and counter stools from our factory are typically produced in 30-45 days for standard designs and 45-60 days for custom colors and shapes after drawing and sample approval, then shipped by sea to a US port; the exact schedule is confirmed in your quote. Vinyl and chrome are both easy to mark in transit, so they are packed with film, foam and edge guards, and booths travel as sections that bolt together on site.

Diner Booth Co. (a line by EASEN Commercial Furniture) makes retro booths, tables and seating in our own production base in Lecong, Foshan, China, and ships direct to US operators on FOB, CIF or DDP terms on request. Here is what happens between "we love that tangerine roll booth" and your first milkshake served in it. This is general guidance; your customs broker has the final word on import paperwork and duties.

How long before the booths are built?

The clock starts when you sign off the shop drawings, not when you send the first email. A typical diner job runs like this:

Color matching usually takes the longest outside production. If you want an exact 1950s mint or a two-tone booth with a contrast welt, approve the swatch early so the vinyl can be ordered while drawings are still being checked.

How do you keep vinyl and chrome looking new in a container?

Retro furniture has two enemies on the way across the Pacific: pressure marks on vinyl and scratches on bright metal. Our packing is built around both.

• Booth seats and backs. Wrapped in breathable film, then foam sheet, with cardboard corner guards on every edge. Vinyl is not packed so tightly that seams or channel tufting get flattened.
• Chrome and ribbed aluminum table edges. Protective peel-off film on the edging, plus an edge guard around the full perimeter of the top. Tables travel top-down on foam with legs or bases packed separately.
• Diner stools. Seats boxed separately from chrome pedestals so the seat cannot dent the column.
• Hardware. Bolts, connector plates and glides bagged per booth and labelled with the booth number on the drawing.

Double booths, such as the Tangerine Roll Double Booth, ship as two seat-and-back sections that are joined back-to-back on site. That keeps every carton through a standard door and makes the container load more efficiently.

Is a shared container OK, or do I need my own?

Furniture fills a container by volume, not weight. Booths are bulky, so we send you a packing list with every carton's dimensions before booking, and you can see whether a 20ft will do or whether a 40ft makes sense.

FOB, CIF or DDP for a diner?

• FOB. We get the goods packed, cleared for export and on board in China. You pick the forwarder and broker. Good if you already import or have a forwarder you trust.
• CIF. We also pay ocean freight and insurance to your US port. You handle customs and the truck from the port.
• DDP. One delivered price to your address with import handled. Easiest for a first-time importer; read what is excluded, which is usually unloading and installation.

What does US customs need?

Your licensed customs broker files the paperwork, but it helps to know the main pieces:

1. Importer Security Filing (ISF). Lodged before the container is loaded in China. Give your broker our details as soon as the order is placed.
2. Commercial invoice and packing list. We provide both, matching the carton labels.
3. Bill of lading from the shipping line or forwarder.
4. Entry and duties. Seats fall in HTS heading 9401 and tables in 9403. Goods made in China face additional Section 301 duties on top of the normal duty, and these have shifted over the years, so ask your broker for current figures when you budget.
5. Fire specification. If your city or landlord requires seating to meet CAL TB 117-2013, we specify foams and covers to that on request and supply test reports for the specific item where available. Ask your local fire marshal what applies.

Most diners arrive through West Coast ports for the shortest sea leg, then by truck or rail inland; East Coast and Gulf ports are also possible. Your forwarder will suggest the best route for your city.

When do I pay, and can I inspect first?

We start production on a deposit. When everything is finished, we send photos and video of your booths and tables: vinyl color under daylight, welts and seams up close, chrome edges, and a tape measure on key dimensions. The balance is due before shipment once you are happy. If you prefer an independent set of eyes, you can book a third-party inspector such as SGS, QIMA or Bureau Veritas, and we will schedule the visit when the goods are ready. Terms are confirmed in each quote.

Delivery-day checklist for your diner

1. Confirm the truck can reach your door, or plan a liftgate delivery.
2. Measure the narrowest door the booths must pass through.
3. Have the shop drawings and packing list on site.
4. Photograph every carton before opening and note any damage on the delivery receipt.
5. Unpack booth sections in order, starting with the wall farthest from the door.
6. Bolt double booths together, then fix to wall or floor as the drawing shows.
7. Peel the protective film from chrome edges only after the tables are in position.
8. Keep a few spare glides and a short length of matching vinyl for future repairs.

Retro-fitout blunders we see

• Approving vinyl colors from a phone screen. Always approve a physical swatch.
• Forgetting the door. A double booth assembled in the factory will not fit through a single door; that is why we ship sections.
• Peeling chrome film on day one and then dragging tables across a concrete floor.
• Late ISF. It is due before loading in China, not when the ship docks.
• Ordering stools last. They usually ship with the booths; adding them later means a second shipment.

Browse the full diner booths collection or pair your booths with a Soda Fountain Four-Top.

FAQ

How long do custom diner booths take?

Typically 30-45 days for standard designs and 45-60 days for custom colors and shapes after drawing and sample approval, plus ocean transit and customs. Your quote confirms the timeline.

Do the booths arrive assembled?

Each booth section arrives upholstered and ready. Double booths and long runs ship as sections and are bolted together on site, which keeps every piece through a normal door.

Will the chrome edges get scratched in shipping?

Chrome and aluminum edging travels under peel-off protective film with full edge guards. Leave the film on until the table is in place.

Do I need a customs broker?

For a commercial shipment into the US, yes. A licensed broker files the ISF and entry and pays duties on your behalf. On DDP terms we arrange that side for you.