Keeping Your Customers Cool: 8 Patio Shade Ideas

Ah, there’s nothing quite like dining al fresco (for those of us who didn’t take Italian for four years in high school, that’s “eating in the open air”). Enjoying your meal outside affects the senses – food seems to taste fresher and therefore, better. Outdoor dining has a strong pull for local diners, they’re just more comfortable eating outside and for a restaurant owner that means extra seating capacity (which creates extra cash flow) whenever diners choose to eat outdoors.

If you’re lucky enough to have your outdoor seating area overlooking Mother Nature’s profile (on her good side…), nice weather will help to create a festive mood in your diners – everyone loves to be outdoors in great weather enjoying the natural splendor. The fun atmosphere encourages consuming more wine, beer and liquor which often leads to your customers ordering more and paying higher check prices. As an added bonus, by using the natural views as your outdoor dining backdrop, you don’t have to spend money on decorations or upkeep.

When the weather turns nice, we rely on the sun to bathe our customers in health-giving sunlight as they enjoy their al fresco dining experience. When the sun gets a little too aggressive, providing shade for your customers is an easy and cheap way to keep them comfortable as the orders continue to flow in.

Here at Patio Heat and Shade we have gaggles of patio experts who understand this requirement and know exactly the right way to keep your customers cool, so they’ll linger longer (and spend more money). We asked our experts to come up with their favorite ways of using shading in an outdoor restaurant setting, and they came up with eight ideas for us to consider.

1. Use living plants along the top of a pergola to create a lush, shady canopy

Some of our customers have restaurant dining areas that have outdoor structures with columns that support a roofing grid (also known as a pergola). A brilliant use of this space is to create a living ceiling by hanging multiple lush plants from the ceiling canopy, instantly providing leafy shade for their customers to enjoy.

2. Striped awning to add shade for a waterfront restaurant

The Advaning LUXURY premium UV sunshade canopy has long been a go-to selection for our outdoor dining experts. With either a remote-controlled electric or manually cranked system you can have sun when you want it (those truly gorgeous days) or shade your patrons from excessive rays when you need it. As a bonus, your guests can enjoy the special treat of dining in the rain without that pesky “damp clothes” thing…

3. Add an oversized octagon umbrella to define a large dining area

4. House your patio dining areas under an eye-catching, shady gazebo structure

5. Neutral umbrellas don’t take away from an ocean view

6. Match the colors of your brand with your patio umbrellas

7. Add freestanding awnings to shade large outdoor dining spaces efficiently

8. Sleek, square umbrellas to complement a modern restaurant aesthetic

Comfortable customers are happy customers, and happy customers spend. Shading your customers in the hotter parts of the day keeps their engagement with your servers strong, providing additional cash flow per patron.