Rent me (just) one table!
March 4, 2010 2:51 PM   Subscribe

I need to rent one single large table in Chicago. Most table rental places have a minimum. Help!

I just need one long folding table that seats 10-12 people. I guess I'd be ok with two smaller tables as long as I can seat this many people. Looking online, one table this size rents for between $8-$12. Great! The problem? All the rental places seem to have a minimum, as if we were throwing a wedding. You can't get just one.

Seriously, I just need one. It's for a seder. Can you recommend a place in Chicago that will rent me one table, including delivering it and taking it away the next day? (Note: If you can rent me a table personally, just send me a MeFi mail.)
posted by juniperesque to Home & Garden (6 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Well if you can bear to spend the money for the convenience, you might be able to make a deal where you pay the minimum and they just bring you the one table. I did that one year for my seder, and the next year I realized it was cheaper to just buy a long (ugly) folding table at home depot (Not ugly once covered with tablecloth.) I do, however, have a place to store it for the rest of the year, so your mileage may vary.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:11 PM on March 4, 2010 [1 favorite]


Could you try Craigslist to see if anyone has one they'd lend/rent to you?
posted by cooker girl at 3:44 PM on March 4, 2010


Rent a number of smaller tables that satisfy the minimum and add up to the same size as the larger table you wanted. Assemble and cover with a tablecloth. That, or call a place and let them know you'll be picking it up and dropping it off -- they don't do single tables, because at $8-$12, they'd lose money on the delivery/pickup.
posted by davejay at 4:01 PM on March 4, 2010


I suppose you've tried party rental places? My family has rented a couple tables, plus chairs and dishes etc., for Thanksgiving and Passover, and it was no problem. (I'm not in Chicago, so I don't have specific recommendations, but this place comes up on Google. Looks kinda expensive, though, and has a $100 minimum, I think, if you want it delivered.)

Plus, if you're having enough people that you need to rent a table, if you rent the dishes and stuff, then (a) they all match and (b) you don't have to wash them.

On the other hand, if you were hoping to be able to rent a banquet table for about $20, you might be better off looking to purchase---depends on what your options are locally. (I thought I'd seen these for more like $30/ea but Costco seems to want to charge $80.)
posted by leahwrenn at 5:01 PM on March 4, 2010


You'll pay more, but you could call some of the theaters in the area to see if their props shops will rent be willing to rent to a private client.

Personally, though, I'd check on Craigslist and Freecycle.
posted by alight at 8:05 PM on March 4, 2010


Places that would have their own tables: churches, community centers, senior centers, park districts, youth centers, schools, libraries. I would call a local one (especially one you support with your taxes) and ask if you can borrow one. Offer a donation if it seems appropriate.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:04 AM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]


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