Is it time to winterise your terrace?
As the colder weather approaches many hospitality businesses find their outside spaces unused and neglected by customers, preferring to seek warmth inside.
It means venues are considerably under capacity in the winter months, and that’s lost revenue!
Across northern Europe, particularly our neighbours like the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France we see alfresco eating and drinking throughout the year, and in very similar climates to our own.
Although Covid did a little to encourage a move outside, there are still tens of thousands of outdoor covers going to waste each year.
Wise hospitality owners are investing in making their outdoor spaces a warm and inviting place to be, while still offering a contrast to indoor dining.
Cover your Space
Parasols are a simple but effective way to protect customers from the sun in the summer and the rain in the winter.
They also look great and can be designed to provide a useful branding opportunity.
Most manufacturers will supply parasols from 1.5 metres to 8 or even 9 metres, square, rectangular, round, off-centre or cantilever.
The choice is huge.
However, choose your supplier carefully, because not all parasols are made equal.
They might look very similar but generally speaking you get what you pay for.
A strong premium, professional parasol will serve you well for up to 10 years, sometimes longer, whereas buying a lesser product, while having an attractive price tag, may turn out to be a false economy, needing frequent repair or replacement, sometimes annually.
A strong, professional parasol should be capable of withstanding winds of up to 60mph.
For a fully enclosed space, consider adding side, front and rear panels.
Gutters between parasols will ensure no nasty drips down the back of your diner’s neck!
Buy British if you can and you will save on import duties and transportation costs (they can be big things!).
Better to spend your budget on the quality of the parasol itself rather than the cost of moving it around.
Build it and they will come
If your terrace is in an exposed area parasols might not be the right solution.
High winds are the enemy of parasols.
Not just because they could blow away but because they need to be lowered if it’s persistently windy (an important tip is to ensure your lowered parasols are also tethered as wind makes the canopy panels flap, much like a sail, and will damage the fabric very quickly. It can also twist or break ribs so do train your staff about care and maintenance frequently).
For a more protected and permanent environment consider an aluminium pergola.
A highly effective yet economic way of adding more dining space while maintaining an alfresco feel.
Strong, yet light and quick to install.
Consider a retractable fabric roof or a louvre roof.
Close in poor weather and at night (integrated LED lighting makes for a cosy feel), open in sunshine at the touch of a button (yes, we do occasionally get sunshine in winter!).
Sliding glass panels increase protection when required and allow plenty of natural light to facilitate the inside-outside experience.
Structures like this can be erected and functioning in 2-3 days and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional build.
Again, it pays to invest wisely.
Choose the right partner, don’t skimp on quality.
You want it to be trouble free and long lasting.
Heat your customers, not the planet!
Even with outdoor protection your customers will still appreciate some additional warmth.
Traditional patio heaters are incredibly inefficient.
The vast majority of the heat they produce, and consequently your money, goes straight up into the atmosphere.
A patio heater will cost around £4.00 an hour to run, most of which is completely wasted.
Add to that the potential damage to the environment, it’s understandable that they are banned from use in parts of Europe.
A more modern, economic and eco-friendly solution is to heat your customer, not the air around them.
Sit & Heat make innovative heated seat solutions in the Netherlands.
Established in 2008 they now provide heated seats to multiple sectors including hospitality, the home, stadiums and churches.
Cushions can be operated by rechargeable batteries or installed to mains power.
A 30w heated seat costs roughly 0.01p per hour to run.
With elements in the bottom and back cushions, they turn on automatically on contact, and off after 2 minutes of non-use.
That makes your heating very cost effective (only providing heat when needed) and can literally save thousands in heating costs.
Batteries are charged overnight in specially designed and fireproof charging bags or crates.
Maintaining body heat at a constant 37 degrees (normal body temperature), particularly around the lumber area that holds many vital organs, means a person will feel warm, even on the coldest days.
The covers are showerproof, fireproof (up to Crib 5 on request) and fully machine washable.
Available in a huge range of colours, or custom designs, they can also be embroidered with your company brand for a really stylish look.
UK clients include Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Claridges, The Sky Garden, Manchester United FC, Everton FC, Church of England and numerous restaurants and bars.
Get it right
Maximise your potential income from every square metre of restaurant space, including outdoors.
Invest wisely in your outside space and it will reward you.
Rarely in the hospitality industry does it pay to cut corners.
An investment in your business is an investment in your customers.
A quick service restaurant may get away with providing cheaply made facilities.
They are offering a budget, fast experience and this is the customers expectation: no frills, fast food, cheap price point.
If you want to earn your customers’ loyalty (and money) then your complete offering needs to be on point, not just the food and service.
Eating fabulous food under a broken, leaky parasol devalues the experience.
Your customers will soon let you know by taking their custom elsewhere!
