If you own a restaurant with a good-sized outdoor space, you may want to add some tables to it to create some outdoor seating. People love being able to enjoy their meals outdoors during nice weather, plus this allows you to get more customers into your restaurant at once by expanding the number of available tables you have. Before you can really open this space, though, you will want to buy a canopy for it. (Shelterlogic has quality canopies) This provides shade and will help shield your customers from any bad weather that may suddenly strike. If you’re shopping for an outdoor canopy for your restaurant, here are a few things to keep in mind.
The Size of the Space
First, consider how large your outdoor space is. If it’s too large or if it stretches too far away from your building, you may not be able to use a canopy or gazebo that attaches to the building itself. Instead, you may need to look at a stand-alone canopy. Fortunately, there are many options out there for both. Also remember that you may want the canopy to extend a little bit outside of the space where you will have people seated. Otherwise, the rain or bright sunshine may still be able to reach your customers.
Where Will the Tables be Placed?
Another factor to keep in mind is the placement of your tables. If you have an awkwardly sized outdoor space, there may be parts of it where tables simply won’t fit or would create too crowded of a space. If that’s the case, you may not really need to protect that part of the space with a canopy. While you should consider the entire space in the beginning, before you make a purchase, you should think about the actual usable space you have. If that’s smaller than the total space, you may not need to buy such a large canopy.
Consider the Quality
Your restaurant’s exterior and décor both make a statement about the quality of your food. If your canopy appears to be poor quality and is easily damaged, your customers may think that you don’t care about maintaining the building. That may make them wonder about what else you don’t care about and can lead them to eating elsewhere. Poor-quality canopies may also not protect your customers enough, making them uncomfortable while they eat their meals. Again, this can lead to them choosing another restaurant next time. You want to look for canopies that are high quality and will last for quite some time. Not only with this impress customers, but it also helps with your budget since you won’t need to replace the canopy that often.
Weather Resistance
Another related factor is how weather-resistant your canopy is. If it lets water through, it won’t do much to protect customers if it starts raining. You want to look for a canopy that is waterproof and reduces the glare from the sun. You may not want your canopy to completely cut out the light, of course, but it should help reflect enough sunlight that it’s comfortable enough even on a warm, sunny day.
By looking at these factors and considering your budget, you can determine which canopy is the right option for your restaurant. Remember, the cheapest option isn’t always the best, especially if you have to replace it more often.
