Those summer months are here and we’re all wondering: did spring even happen? All of a sudden, we walked outside and it was hotter than Hades’ underworld. Even though the temperatures are rising, that’s not stopping anyone from venturing outside of their homes they’ve been asked to stay in.
More People are Sitting on Restaurant Patios
Restaurants are in varying states of operation, but it’s an accepted trend to sit outside on a patio as opposed to sitting indoors. Perhaps this is due to the sweeping pandemic or the gorgeous summer weather. Either way, your restaurant could see those food and liquor sales go up if you implemented one simple thing. And no it’s not one of those cool UV robots sanitizing the supermarket aisles.
Keeping your patrons cool is a struggle with umbrellas, so don’t let a motorized awning’s price deter you making this an addition to your patio. In the next few minutes, we’re going to spend a bit of time examining how you could make more money this summer with awnings on your restaurant’s patio.
Umbrellas, Are They a Safety Hazard?
Umbrellas might have had their day in restaurants. They pose a danger to employees and equipment. During a storm staff members must run out in the middle of it all, dodging lightning and rain to bring your umbrellas into safety. I’ve seen umbrellas fly down the streets or to neighboring parking lots if not taken down quickly.
Umbrellas Cause Expensive Damage
This solution is fixed easily with sensors that will tell the awning to automatically retract itself if it senses wind gusts above the threshold set. No more sending the poor busser out in the storm to fetch the umbrellas! This will save you labor hours in tear down and any headaches or lawsuits that could result from injury to staff or expensive equipment. A motorized awning’s price is lower than a medical bill.
Awnings Provide More Coverage for More People
Like we said earlier, patrons are seemingly more likely to sit on a patio post-pandemic. With an awning, every square inch of the patio is covered. That leaves the restaurant able to position tables in many different socially distant layouts. And with more coverage, you can fit more people. More people means more money spent on bottomless mimosas!
Keep Staff and Diners Shaded All Day
Another downside to an umbrella is that it acts somewhat like a sundial. As the sun dances its way across the sky, it creates different shadows on the ground. The guest originally sat in the shade but a few moments later, they could be in the sun again. You could make your money back on the motorized awning’s price just by having a table enjoy themselves all sunny afternoon, ordering round after round of drinks.
The reasons why you could make more money this summer with awnings are not so obvious, but once you read this, it makes sense right? It makes even more sense now that we’re all navigating new terrain as germaphobes. Implementing a motorized awning could save you money by reducing the risk of umbrella damage and/or injury and providing more coverage to pack in more diners. Go ahead and give the people the gift they didn’t even know they need.