The task of looking for patio furniture can be daunting given the options and variety in quality available today. However, Palm Casual has been offering best-in-class outdoor sets at exceptional pricing for over 40 years. What started as a small operation in 1979 in Orlando has expanded to almost 20 factory-direct showrooms across the Southeast, including two in Georgia with a third location opening in Gainesville.
Jacob Salley, the partner-owner of the three Georgia locations, is one of the only partner-owners of Palm Casual who is not blood-related to the founding family, an honor he takes great pride in. “In a past life, I was going to be a professor,” he says. “I was halfway through a Ph.D. in modern European history when I became involved in the business.”
To support his family while completing his education, Salley began working at Palm Casual’s outpost in Charleston, quickly becoming a top salesperson and beloved member of staff. A few years later, an opportunity to become part of the family as a partner-owner in Atlanta fell into Salley’s lap unexpectedly. “I really saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for such a successful, phenomenal business,” he says. He and his wife and five young kids picked up from Charleston and moved to Atlanta in 2022.
It’s truly a family-run business where everyone rolls up their sleeves and pitches in, and Salley says the business has always been run with this philosophy. “The family built the first factory off of John Young Parkway in Orlando with their own hands; they laid the concrete themselves,” says Salley. “The founder’s mom made cushions in the back while answering the phone, and he and his dad would build the furniture themselves between selling to new customers on the showroom floor.”
The company grew quickly thanks to key differentiators: factory-direct offerings and a 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee and lifetime servicing. By being factory-direct, Palm Casual can pass along the savings to the customer in a win-win situation for price, style and quality. “We make our own furniture. Because of that, we are way better priced than typical high-end retail outdoor brands,” says Salley. “We come in at about 40% to 50% lower than anyone in the market today.”
The exceptional customer service has also fueled growth, with the company’s high standards passed along to its customers. “From the beginning, we’ve offered lifetime servicing on our furniture,” he says. “We’ll take care of it for you for life.” Additionally, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, including on custom orders. “Even if it’s fully custom, you can call us on day 29 of owning it and we’ll pick it up and give you a full refund.”
These policies speak to the integrity of the company and quality of the furniture, and as word spread, so did the swath of products. The first outdoor furniture, which was designed, engineered and built in-house, was made from PVC. The brand now does it all: chairs, chaise lounges, sofas, ottomans, tables, sets, firepits and anything else you’d enjoy alfresco. Clients can choose from all-weather materials such as wicker, cast aluminum, grade-A Indonesian teak, modern welded aluminum and marine-grade polymer. “We make the highest-quality items on the market today but at prices that are phenomenally low compared to any retail store,” Salley says.
Residents of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, where the brand has showrooms, are able to enjoy being outdoors most months of the year. A good patio furniture set is key to making sure that time is enjoyable, but many sets are at opposite ends of the spectrum: either inexpensive and disposable or extremely high-end with long lead times and hefty price tags. “Not all outdoor furniture is equal, and many of the most important construction details can’t be seen from external appearances,” says Salley.
A good outdoor set first starts with a quality base. “Frames need to be welded aluminum. If it’s anything other than welded aluminum, the pieces will rust. Secondly, any synthetic material must be highly UV-treated to prevent cracking and fading. The only real way to tell the difference in outdoor furniture is by how it weathers over time,” he says.
The second element is a high-quality fabric. “Sunbrella is the best, and that’s what we use,” says Salley. “We’re one of the largest dealers of Sunbrella in the Southeast.” That shakes out to be a whopping 500 options to choose from that are fade-, stain-, tear-, mold- and mildew resistant. “Every fabric we use on our furniture can be cleaned with 100% undiluted bleach. If you have black cushions, you can take 10 bottles of bleach to them and hose them off, and it won’t affect the color,” he adds. Considering that Palm Casual furniture often prices out close to the same as disposable pieces purchased at a big-box store—or half as much as a luxury brand—it’s a no-brainer for customers looking for the best available option.
As for what Atlantans are seeking out now, Salley says that the focus is always on timeless and classic style. “In terms of style options, we’ve hit a nice balance for most people,” he says. “Sleek aluminum styles, high-back wicker sets and plush, high-quality Sunbrella cushions are always in high demand. We don’t try to be ultra trendy. Instead, we want to carry and manufacture items that looked good 15 years ago that will also look just as good 15 years from now.”
The 7,000-square-foot showroom in Johns Creek is open Monday through Saturday. Visitors are greeted at the showroom by the Palm Casual wares artfully displayed outside. The cheerful and timeless tableaus set the tone for what’s to come inside—a superior shopping experience focused on the customer. “Our Atlanta salespeople are absolutely superb,” says Salley. “They are highly knowledgeable about materials, craftsmanship, our policies, industry trends and pricing. The best part is they will be smiling and happy to see you.”
Salley acknowledges that shopping for patio furniture can be overwhelming and confusing, so his salespeople walk the floor with the customer, guiding them through the process. Guests are encouraged to test out the furniture and rifle through the seemingly endless fabric options. Custom items are included in the 30-day money-back guarantee and, depending on the time of year, can be turned around within two to three weeks. “We are one of the fastest in the business because we control many of the variables of manufacturing and distribution. It gives us a lot of industry power to provide more time value for customers and faster arrivals,” says Salley. *
Lauren Finney Harden is an Atlanta-based print and digital content creator with extensive experience in home design and interiors writing.
