This seems pretty tight to me. I currently have an island that wide (no seating) and can't imagine two people sitting across from each other, at a table with those dimensions, without knocking knees. (Our kitchen table, which nightly seats 5 just as you describe, is 36" wide and I don't think I'd go much narrower than that.)

Think about it this way....plates are usually 12". Do you think only 4 extra inches on the top of the island is enough extra? I don't think it is...seems like it will be too tight.

Mock it up and serve a meal.

good idea florantha, I currently have a peninsula almost that wide. I'll try it.

Good idea to mock up. Seems as if there would be no space to lay a plate of side dishes, a bottle of ketchup, etc.

Each person will have a 2 ft wide by 1 foot deep place, which means plates will be nearly touching in the center and all the way to the edge in front. Consider the knee space as well (12 inches max for each person). We have a 54 inch breakfast table and the boys sit on one side (so they can see the TV). I'd like to tell you we have no issues about space and you could lose 6 inches no problem, but that wouldn't be the truth. Most of the issues are getting in and out. Swivel seat stools might make it easier than chairs, but I think you will be tight. I wouldn't want to plan on it as a main eating area or for daily use.

Is this for meals or for just sitting around for a short time? The minimum recommended overhang for someone sitting at a counter-height surface is 15" (for table-height, it's 19"). If two people are seated across from each other, that means you should have at least 30". If everyone has short legs (and will always have short legs, i.e., considering children grow...), 28" might work. However if your family has any tall members or anyone has long legs, 28" is going to be too shallow.

Mocking it up is a good idea...but you need to mock it up and use it as planned. I.e., if you plan to eat there or sit there for any length of time, you need to do exactly that in the mockup...and several times so it's no longer "new" and, therefore, not always accurately "felt" (think about it, when something is new, we often don't notice the flaws or the irritants until we live with it for awhile). Oh, and when you mock it up, consider your children, if you have them (or plan to), at teen/adult size, not their current size! Children grow very, very quickly!!

Another thing to consider...I doubt you'll have 5' in the seating area...you have to include the counter overhang on the work end. You will probably have around 4'10" to 4'10-1/2". This becomes an issue b/c you plan to have someone sitting on the end.

For counter- and bar-height seating, people need at least 24" of linear space (for table-height, it's 30"). With someone on the end, consider the fact that they also need that 15" overhang (especially since the island will be so shallow). So, doing the "numbers":

Length of island = 9' = 108"
...1.5" overhang on non-seating end of island
+ 48" of work area/cabinets
+ 24" for one person
+ 24" for second person
+ 15" overhang for person on the end
112.5" (or 9'4.5")

This particular issue can be easily remedied by taking 6" away from the "work area" (making it 42"...still a nice size work area) and allocating those 6" to the seating area.

What are your aisle widths? That also can be an issue...especially since I worry that your KD may not be "up" on recommended Kitchen Planning Guidelines.

Do you have other seating in the kitchen?

Would you be willing to post your layout here and see if we can come up with a better solution, including giving you the seating you need or want? No guarantees, of course, but it's an option (and it's free!)

That's not space for dining. It might be enough space to tuck a few stools under for perching there while prepping, or a single person with coffee and toast. You need somewhere else for regular family meals.

We have a restaurant booth which is 6' long and the table top is 24"wide. We eat there constantly. We have seven kids, and we all fit. You can't put much in the middle but it's plenty of room to eat.