Extend Your Outdoor Dining Season

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You already went to the trouble of setting up a beautiful
outdoor dining area for your patrons, but the weather is threatening to change
early this year. You don’t want to lose out on your extra floor space, nor do
you want to see the effectiveness of your investment cut short. The best
solution is to extend the season by making a few small changes and your outdoor
dining furniture
is good for several more weeks.


Move into the Sun

While you probably didn’t want to seat your guests in direct
sunlight during the hot summer months, in the fall the sun can provide some
much needed warmth during the days. Hopefully you have an open area around your
restaurant that makes it easy to move the furniture around to maximize the
weather you want.

Suppliers even offer portable patio fencing so you can keep
your outdoor dining area enclosed, keeping random individuals from wandering
through. You can still use your umbrellas to protect your guests during the
warmest hours of the day or when the sun is shining directly into someone’s
eyes.


Heat things Up

To further extend the usability of your patio, invest in
outdoor patio heaters or even a fireplace or two. If the space is your own,
have a rock or brick fireplace built on your patio space. The walls of the
fireplace will give off radiant heat while the fire provides additional romance
and beauty.

If you have to be able to pack away your patio during the
cold months, then portable propane heaters are a better choice. Available in
many different finishes, these heaters burn their fuel up high but radiate it
downwards, warming guests all night long. Depending upon their footprint, you
may need to move some restaurant tables around or even take out one or two, but
at least you can continue to use the patio space well into the fall.


Lap Blankets for the Ladies

While men are going to show up in pants and are therefore
more likely to be warmer, ladies in skirts may get chilled. Place a few lap
blankets in your wait stations and provide them as the evenings get cool. With
a little care, they can even match your linens.

As with other accessories, these must be washed regularly to
prevent problems. Food stains, odors, and so forth will put off your guests if
you don’t keep things properly cleaned. Ask your source for linens if they have
lap blankets, otherwise, invest in your own and take them home every week to
wash.

Eating al fresco is one of the greatest pleasures there is.
Many of your diners will enjoy the experience and may not be willing to give up
the pleasure just because there is a little nip in the air. Help them extend
the season with these easy fixes, and they will thank you for the fun.