Powell Co. said it got a good reaction in Tupelo to its Surveyor collection, which features cherry veneers and brushed steel hardware and accents. A table and four chairs retail for about $899.

“There is no doubt that casual dining is a growth category,” said Jay Johnson, vice president of product development at Fraenkel Co. “Formal dining is going by the wayside. Most of us use a formal dining table to fold the laundry and for maybe one meal a year.”

Producers said that part of the appeal of 36-inch-tall gathering tables is the ease with which users can sit and stand from a 24-inch seat. As baby boomers age, their knees get creakier, and ease of use gets more and more important. In addition, users have noted that children enjoy climbing up to be seated and stay at the table better when seated at a 24-inch height.

Consumers also like the height for card games and other stay-at-home family activities — which are getting more popular in light of rising gas prices.

Also attracting fans in the casual dining arena are smaller, more functional pieces and storage pieces with such features as wine racks, lighting and pull-out service trays.

At Powell Co., which came to Tupelo with its best new introductions from High Point and Las Vegas, the Surveyor group, which has been nominated for an American Society of Furniture Designers Pinnacle Award, was well received, according to CEO Bill Benton.

The Surveyor tables, available in a 48-inch round version or a 54-inch square, can be adjusted to either regular dining height or gathering height, which lets a dealer double his SKUs without doubling the floor space, Benton said. Other Powell pieces that got attention from buyers in Tupelo included a two-piece hutch with a cap piece and see-through glass-front drawers.

Benton said the collection, which also includes occasional tables, will be expanded into bedroom for the October High Point market.

Largo International brought its Harvest Time collection to Tupelo with good results, according to Mike Bradshaw, vice president of product development. The group includes a kitchen island with hideaway stools that fit under the four corners.

“We have added a white version of this in addition to the black and tobacco color, and a wine bar wall unit.”

Largo is also have success with stone and steel materials. “Our dealers look to us for distinction,” Bradshaw said.

Primo Designs, which has positioned itself as a whole-house vendor, did well with hand-painted casual dining, plus-sized birch items and carved wood, according to Scott Ballard, a sales executive.

“The scale of casual dining is getting larger to work in the new open kitchens,” Ballard said. “The most important table is a 60-inch square because you can seat eight people.

“Kitchen islands are still strong especially in older homes, because they don’t have as much built in,” he added. “They are much more economical than ripping up the kitchen and remodeling.”

Mixed media featuring iron, steel and other metals was popular style at Fraenkel. Jay Johnson, vice president of product development and replenishment, said steel prices have stabilized and Fraenkel’s sources in the Far East and Mexico are constantly developing new materials and finishes to keep the category juiced up.

One of the company’s Chinese dinette producers showed him a sheet-metal tabletop in Tupelo that was “finished with etching and brushing that gives it a 3-D effect reminiscent of a piece of fabric,” Johnson said. “New techniques like this help drive casual dining.”

At Holland House, a hit was Adaptable Dining. Showroom manager Joe Ruppert said an important selling feature is a butterfly leaf, which folds and stores under the tabletop.

“Although they cost more to produce, they ultimately save the dealer money. … In addition to the convenience of self-storage (the leaf) reduces damages. Freight cost is less because you can get more into a container,” Ruppert said, “and there is less chance of damage than with loose leaves.”

Mike Jones, vice president of sales at Sunrise Home Furnishings, agreed that casual dining “continues to be the stronger part of the entire dining category.”

“There is an emphasis on the 36-inch counter-height tables and on exotic mixed media with materials like slate,” Jones said. “With the exotic table bases the consumer wants to be able to see it, so glass-top tables are still important because the base is what you’re selling in those cases.”