
Most restaurants have a patio in the front or back area of their building. That space is perfect for outdoor dining. Even for small restaurants, putting out one or two tables is a great way to generate more seats that create more sales. So how do you create that outdoor dining area? Here’s a quick list:

- Awning: This is the most basic and easiest way to create an outdoor dining experience for guests. By installing an awning, you create a shaded, covered area that provides your diners with a feeling that they’re still part of the restaurant even though they’re outdoors.
- Patio Cover: Just like the awning, a patio cover provides shade and the experience of being outdoors. Often, patio covers are used for the front of a restaurant.
- Tables and Chairs: Clearly, this is the most essential part of creating an outdoor dining experience.
- Enclosures: You can augment your awning with curtains, drop screens, and more to create an outdoor experience that also encloses your diners while allowing them to enjoy fresh air.

Awnings for your restaurant also help generate that extra revenue you might be looking for. How so? Well, when you install that awning, it attracts attention, creates outdoor space for your diners, which in turn creates revenue.

- For example, if you install a covered, shaded area by using an awning and put out 4 tables with 4 chairs a piece, you’ve just created 16 more revenue generating seats.
- If you fill those seats at least twice a day, that’s 32 more sales you wouldn’t have had before. Let’s say those 32 seats average sales of $15 each spot, then you’ve just added $480 a day to your sales.
- In one week, you could potentially add $3,360 to your ledger if you multiply the $480 a day you create with just 4 tables and 4 chairs. You’ve just paid for the cost of your awning which will last years.
For more information about commercial awnings, feel free to contact us. For more information about what we do and other shade structures, visit us online at American Awning & Blind Co. at http://www.americanawningabc.com. (Our California Contractors License is #999050). Or give us a call at 800-654-5933. You can also email us at info@americanawningabc.com.