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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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.