8 Restaurant Patio Shade Ideas

Outdoor restaurant dining area overlooking a lake, two round tables, and two striped market umbrellas providing shade

Ah, there’s nothing quite like dining al fresco (for those of us who didn’t take Italian for four years in high school, that’s “eating in the open air”). Enjoying your meal outside affects the senses – food seems to taste fresher and therefore, better. Outdoor dining has a strong pull for local diners, they’re just more comfortable eating outside and for a restaurant owner that means extra seating capacity (which creates extra cash flow) whenever diners choose to eat outdoors.

If you’re lucky enough to have your outdoor seating area overlooking Mother Nature’s profile (on her good side…), nice weather will help to create a festive mood in your diners – everyone loves to be outdoors in great weather enjoying the natural splendor. The fun atmosphere encourages consuming more wine, beer and liquor which often leads to your customers ordering more and paying higher check prices. As an added bonus, by using the natural views as your outdoor dining backdrop, you don’t have to spend money on decorations or upkeep.

When the weather turns nice, we rely on the sun to bathe our customers in health-giving sunlight as they enjoy their al fresco dining experience. When the sun gets a little too aggressive, providing shade for your customers is an easy and cheap way to keep them comfortable as the orders continue to flow in.

Here at Patio Heat and Shade we have gaggles of patio experts who understand this requirement and know exactly the right way to keep your customers cool, so they’ll linger longer (and spend more money). We asked our experts to come up with their favorite ways of using shading in an outdoor restaurant setting, and they came up with eight ideas for us to consider.

1. Use living plants along the top of a pergola to create a lush, shady canopy

Outdoor casual dining area overlooking city landscape with outdoor carpeting, multiple eclectic sofas and modern chairs for seating and overhead is a gridwork large metal mesh ceiling from which hangs dozens of living plants in planters

Some of our customers have restaurant dining areas that have outdoor structures with columns that support a roofing grid (also known as a pergola). A brilliant use of this space is to create a living ceiling by hanging multiple lush plants from the ceiling canopy, instantly providing leafy shade for their customers to enjoy.

2. Striped awning to add shade for a waterfront restaurant

Outdoor casual dining space with loveseat seating, glass panel railing overlooking inlet to a lake or ocean with Advaning Luxury Series LUXURY premium UV sunshade canopy

The Advaning LUXURY premium UV sunshade canopy has long been a go-to selection for our outdoor dining experts. With either a remote-controlled electric or manually cranked system you can have sun when you want it (those truly gorgeous days) or shade your patrons from excessive rays when you need it. As a bonus, your guests can enjoy the special treat of dining in the rain without that pesky “damp clothes” thing…

3. Add an oversized octagon umbrella to define a large dining area

Rooftop dining scene at dusk with trendy casual pit couch seating, aluminum and wood chairs 4-top table and chairs, with glass-encased fire pit tables, portable patio heaters, multiple market umbrellas and a black Shademaker Orion OR-40 octagon sidepost umbrella

One of the drawbacks of normal cantilever umbrellas (where the base is off to the side instead of directly under the umbrella) is that their base must be huge to support the weight of the umbrella hanging off of it. Not so with the Shademaker Orion OR-40 octagon sidepost umbrella – using the ingenious mount kit assures your umbrella of a firm footing day after day. Rough weather coming? The canopy structure easily detaches for storage.

4. House your patio dining areas under an eye-catching, shady gazebo structure

Large metal gazebo with intricate metalwork on the windows, stone tile floors, wicker chairs with white cloth covered dining tables, and string lights hanging from pergola top

Far from your garden variety garden gazebo, restauranteurs don’t have to make do with some two-by-fours nailed together to create their outdoor dining space. Today’s large gazebos include amazing architectural details (like the window scrollwork in this beautiful outdoor dining space) to create an outdoor setting as stunning as it is functional.

5. Neutral umbrellas don’t take away from an ocean view

Outdoor restaurant dining area overlooking an ocean, with wood slat floors, wooden tables and chairs, with four Galtech International Designer Series 532TK54 patio umbrellas

The solid teak wood hubs of the Galtech International Designer Series 532TK54 patio umbrellas were crafted to complement the teak wood found in many outdoor cafés found near an ocean and is perfect for weathering the sea air. With fifty fabric colors to choose from, we’d suggest neutrals to blend in with your nautical atmosphere.

6. Match the colors of your brand with your patio umbrellas

Outdoor dining area with lime-green color scheme, travertine tile floors, cinder block fireplace, modern Spanish tiled restaurant building, multiple lime-green market umbrellas and a Shademaker Polaris POLARIS-35S large square sidepost umbrella over the greeting area

Have your shading system pull double-duty by reinforcing your brand’s colors (never too much marketing, am I right?) while keeping your guests cool and comfortable. Here, the Shademaker Polaris POLARIS-35S large square sidepost umbrella brings home the lime motif in stunning fashion. Constructed of durable stainless steel, just add an optional umbrella light to the built-in light adapter and your umbrella can comfort your guests long into the night.

7. Add freestanding awnings to shade large outdoor dining spaces efficiently

Outdoor restaurant patio scene overlooking an ocean, with slate tiled floors, black metal chairs with cloth covered tables, shrubs in large pots, and multiple FIM Manufacturing Flexy FLEXY10x16-M-PHI000-FSB/OSS24S commercial dual-post umbrellas shading the tables

Freestanding awnings (also known as dual-post umbrellas) create a HUGE amount of shade, while keeping the posts to the side so as not to spoil the gorgeous view. The FIM Manufacturing Flexy FLEXY10x16-M-PHI000-FSB/OSS24S commercial dual-post umbrellas shading the tables can be sized up to 10’ x 16’ (that’s 160 sq. ft.!) to create an extra-large shading area. With an easily folded canopy fabric (operated by either a manual or electric system), the Flexy can be tilted to shade a wider area throughout the day.

8. Sleek, square umbrellas to complement a modern restaurant aesthetic

Outdoor modern dining area in black and white, with curved modern stand-up tables, black lounge chairs near pool that overlooks an ocean, with four Jardinico JCP101SQ square market umbrellas shading the area

The modern aesthetic is all about clean lines and simple design, and you can’t get much cleaner than a square. Grab ahold of the easy-to-use magnodraulic push-up system to open and close the four Jardinico JCP101SQ square market umbrella and in seconds your umbrella is either ready-to-use or stored safely around its mast.

Comfortable customers are happy customers, and happy customers spend. Shading your customers in the hotter parts of the day keeps their engagement with your servers strong, providing additional cash flow per patron.

Here at Patio Heat and Shade, shading is what we do (heck, it’s right in our name). We know it can be hard to identify exactly which shade system is best for your business, and that’s why we scoured the patio world to find the brightest experts in the patio world. Give us a call and our experts will discuss the different shade options with you and get the perfect solution for your business. Call us – we’ll walk you through it, every step of the way.

Keeping Your Customers Cool: 8 Patio Shade Ideas

1. Use living plants along the top of a pergola to create a lush, shady canopy

2. Striped awning to add shade for a waterfront restaurant

3. Add an oversized octagon umbrella to define a large dining area

4. House your patio dining areas under an eye-catching, shady gazebo structure

5. Neutral umbrellas don’t take away from an ocean view

6. Match the colors of your brand with your patio umbrellas

7. Add freestanding awnings to shade large outdoor dining spaces efficiently

8. Sleek, square umbrellas to complement a modern restaurant aesthetic

Ideas & Inspiration

Heating

Shading

Cooling

Outdoor Living

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Ideas & Inspiration

Heating

Shading

Cooling

Outdoor Living

Commercial Applications