Big restaurant and pub chains have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been even harder for local independents. Forced closures and strict restrictions, such as outdoor dining only, will both have had an impact on your bottom line, but summertime business looks far more positive.
To maximise the recovery of your pub, café, or restaurant, it is vital to find ways to seat and serve more customers. Introducing a new outdoor space or expanding the one you have, is one of the best ways to get more customers and get your till ringing.
Being outdoors and spending time at an outside dining table is good for mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as your bottom line. Happy customers mean returning customers, and your staff will thank you as well.
The emotional benefits of sunlight on the skin are backed by scientific research, which shows it boosts vitamin D production in the body, preventing seasonal affective disorder, and helping the body absorb calcium, which is good for bone growth in younger generations and helps protect against osteoporosis in older patrons. It takes as little as fifteen minutes, so even those grabbing a lunchtime bite will enjoy the benefits.
Expand Your Capacity & Keep Customers Safe
A wooden outdoor dining set is a great way to expand your seating capacity while keeping your customers safe, breathing fresh air outdoors. The risks of contracting Coronavirus outdoors are significantly less, which is good news for customers and your servers alike.
It is also essential to do everything you can to keep your customers safe, as case numbers of the Delta variant increase through a time when more restrictions are set to be lifted. A set of well-placed garden coffee tables and wooden garden chairs can make a real difference in keeping the Delta variant, which is significantly more contagious, under control.
How To Set Up Your Outdoor Dining Area
Setting up your outdoor dining area needs careful consideration. Make sure your wooden outdoor dining furniture is well-spaced to make social distancing easy. Not only will this put your customers at ease, but it will allow servers to work quicker, increasing your table turnover so that you can serve more people.
You will need to consider your available exterior space, including grassed areas and patios. You may also find opportunities to place outdoor seating on the pavement along the side of your premises. If the council owns the pavement, you will need to apply for an outdoor dining permit. You can apply for permission to place tables and chairs on the pavement online.
You can also convert part of your car parking space into an outdoor dining space if it is under-utilised by customer’s vehicles.
Revenues and profit can be further enhanced by introducing open but covered areas. Here you can place your outside dining furniture and continue to serve customers, even when it rains. Covered space is also ideal for hot sunny days, giving customers the choice of basking in the sun or relaxing in the shade.
Considering those little extras can also help. You could add outdoor lighting so you can continue to trade into the evening or try something that will set you apart from the competition, such as offering a free spray of insect repellent or sun cream. Adding potted plants or decorations can create an atmosphere that pulls customers in, right off the street. Setting a pet-friendly space aside for customers with dogs is another idea that helps capitalise on passing trade.
Please contact our team to order an outdoor dining set for your business or to enquire about a bulk discount.