Italians know best. This is why the term ‘Al Fresco dining’ has gained popularity all over the world. Dining outside ‘in the cool air,’ as the term suggests, has a natural charm. Who doesn’t like sitting outside at a well laid out table, enjoying their drinks, while soaking up the natural fresh cool ambiance of nature surrounding them? The best times are often spent in great company at cafes and restaurants, warmly complimented with the smell of fresh garlic, olive oil, bread, and other full-bodied flavors of food. This is why people love to dine out. The full experience is what they are going for.
Restaurant owners know the value of ensuring that outside dining remains a viable option for their customers—as this helps their business grow. However, barriers may be required to ensure that Al Fresco dining is a viable option for your customers.
Table of Contents
1. Increase the Bottom Line
Given that people love sitting outside for casual dining, increasing your dining space makes good business sense. By using cafe barriers to establish your outside presence properly, you will undoubtedly be driving new demand at your restaurant. If you’re open for business outside, not only have you naturally increased your restaurant floor space, but you’ve completely shifted the ambiance of your restaurant.
It is important to ensure that you choose the correct cafe barriers that will allow you to achieve a comfortable outdoor seating option. This is the first step towards expanding your restaurant space.
2. Adds Style And Promotes Branding
Once you’ve decided to erect cafe barriers, the next step is to ensure you are happy with the style you’ve decided to go with. There is a range of cafe barrier styles available in the market. It’s important to also note that by using some cafe barriers, you are also adding flair to your cafe or restaurant and securing the safety of your customers too.
The style of your barrier is an important consideration. Not only do they block out external elements and prevent sidewalk pedestrians from invading your business space unnecessarily, but they can also function as adverts. Usually, when people are passing by your café, they will be tempted by the smell of good food. Naturally, they’d want to know the name of the cafe or restaurant.
So, choose a great style that suits your business best and get those barriers up using graphics and designs that highlight your brand. While some cafe owners prefer to use fully screened barriers, other restaurant owners opt for half-sized barriers. It’s a matter of preference.
Sometimes, the intense heat of summers makes Al Fresco dining impossible. But not if you are using a high-quality retractable screen barrier. This will keep the cool air coming through but also you have the option to close it up when the UV rays are strong and bothersome, making dining outside uncomfortable. These barriers usually come custom fit to match your restaurant’s architecture.
3. Provides Exclusivity And Safety
Practically speaking, cafe barriers are dividers that separate outside pedestrians from the patrons of your restaurant. When you’re dining outside, the barrier creates an exclusive atmosphere and does so much more than simply advertise your brand. As a patron, you know that you are in a private zone that allows you to sit back, relax and indulge in food, drink, and conversation without the need to be vigilant of pedestrians standing close to your table or interrupting you.
If your cafe or restaurant is in a busy shopping complex, facing a busy street, or is situated in a park, a barricade typically sets appropriate boundaries. If you don’t erect barriers, you could end up creating an unorganized atmosphere and your staff would have to work extra hard to monitor the dining experience of your patrons.
Cafe barriers are easy to maintain and provide the perfect access points for your establishment, which would be necessary if you’re serving alcoholic drinks. This is also an important consideration, especially given certain bylaws or government regulations that restrict serving alcohol in the streets. Beautifully crafted barriers also add an aesthetic quality to the restaurant which shouldn’t be overlooked. So make sure they are eye-catching.
4. Easy Maintenance & Convenience
Now that you’re starting to appreciate the true value of having high-quality cafe barriers outside your restaurant, here are some extra pointers to keep in mind:
- Make sure that your barriers are free-standing and not attached to the outside as a permanent fixture.
- Cafe barriers should be easy to remove as you close your business for the day.
- Also, make sure the barriers are sturdy and that people won’t easily trip and fall over them.
- The barriers should be visible and not seem like an obstacle to people.
Conclusion
Once you’ve decided to go ahead and have your barriers printed and erected, you will be amazed at how much more professional and inviting your restaurant will look. You can stretch your imagination when it comes to printing your barriers. Each one could be unique, and you may even want to showcase your signature dish on a barrier or two together with your logo. You can even opt for PVC barriers if you like. These are windproof and waterproof.
Al Fresco dining any time of the year is attractive and pleasurable for many diners. Locals in any area, as well as tourists all, enjoy sitting outside, soaking up the atmosphere, and chilling with great food.