Maximise your Outdoor Dining Space in Dublin – Guide for Restaurants

With phased restaurant reopening guidelines and a plan to allow outdoor hospitality, restaurant owners need to maximise their dining space safely and efficiently. With this outdoor dining in Dublin will become more popular in the coming warmer months. Luckily, a range of technologies exists to facilitate this shift and keep you adaptable in the face of ever-changing circumstances. 

Here are a few tips to follow.

Lookout for Outdoor Dining Space

There are various things to consider before adapting your restaurant for outdoor dining in Dublin. The most important thing is space. Ensure you have space to offer an outdoor dining experience. Space could be outside your restaurant (overspilling into the pedestrianised street), patio, front or back garden or even a car park. The space you select is not near any unpleasant sights or smells and should be spacious enough to always maintain social distancing between customers and staff.  

Take Cover with Stretch Tents

Expanding your outdoor seating and accommodating more guests safely is essential. Outdoor dining stretch tents can help your restaurant or café stay open and maintain social distancing while indoor dining is restricted. Stretch tents are waterproof, wind and sun resistant, as well as are available in a range of different shapes, colours, and sizes to suit your requirement. Moreover, if it is raining or snowing and your customers do not want to get out of the car, the tent solution also supports your customer's curbside pickup and can be an essential element in your COVID safe plan. 

Consider the Design 

Design is another essential element to offer the best outdoor dining experience to your guests. Choose appropriate and comfortable seating. Wooden picnic tables and bar stools are thing of the past, invest in seating that will improve your restaurant’s outdoor space. Choose furniture that can withstand the weather and add attractive cushions to strike a balance between practicality and luxury. You also need to have adequate lighting ensuring all corners of the dining space are evenly lit to offer a more enjoyable dining experience. Consider adding plants as they add colour and texture to your dining area, provided they are properly looked after. However, ensure that you carefully choose the plants to place in your dining area, as plants that attract insects or cause allergies will drive customers away. 

Adapt the Menu for Outdoor Dining

When serving guests outdoors you may want to create a new menu and expand your offering. Talk with your chef about dishes you can serve outdoors and you can even introduce Tapas or Meze which are perfect for warm weather and promote a social style of dining. You can use restaurant POS to create the menu and have it functioning at different times of the day and in different parts of your restaurant. 

Maintaining a positive customer experience in an outdoor dining setting is vital and with the tips above you can offer that. If you are looking to add stretch tents for your outdoor dining in Dublin, then get in touch with Bild Tent & Structures today. Their stretch tents are the most viable and cost-effective option.