The following is a sponsored post from Round Guys Brewing Company. Bill McGeeney is marketing officer and co-owner.
Notice something new at Round Guys Brewing Co.? Warm party lights, some plants and fencing…even an all weather awning! Outdoor seating is set to go all season!
At Round Guys, we have 600 sq. ft. in patio space that, through working with our landlord, we converted into the foundations of the patio experience you see today. This latest patio update adds a fixed all-season awning to protect customers from rain and snow. We strung lights around the interior to provide unobtrusive warm dining lighting, followed by sun sails to dull down the heavy mid- and late-day rays that the patio receives, providing some additional UV protection for customers. And this winter, Round Guys plans to install heaters to alleviate some of the cooler nights for outdoor patrons.
Why did we go through this trouble?
As many of you know, outdoor seating became a staple necessity over the past year, becoming the lifeline of many eating establishments. Places similar to ours temporarily took over street parking, parking lots, and any other space they could get their hands onto simply to keep the lights on. As we move past the heady days of COVID, a large segment of customers still prefer sitting in the outdoors. Therefore, while the immediacy of providing outdoor space has leveled off some, the demand for it remains quite high.
And that’s not the least of it; these new updates come with some unforeseen benefits! Round Guys Brewery now actually sees less of its cool air leave during the hot summer months, thereby reducing the demand to constantly run the air conditioning, imparting some cheerfully unanticipated green benefits!
Are you planning to stage a permanent outdoor seating area for your customers? Round Guys' owner, Scott Rudich, offers these suggestions:
- First, define your purpose. How will you use the outdoor space? Will it be for dining alone, or maybe you wish to include music? Are you looking to have a hangout vibe? These all go into the initial layout. So take some time to fully vet your anticipated uses.
- Second, understand when it’s going to be used. Is this space going to be used during the prime daytime hours of a constant sun beating down on you? Or maybe you are planning to serve up food all year round outside. This will factor heavily into the costs and scale of your operation.
- Finally, plan for things outside of your control, both good and bad. For Round Guys, we must take into consideration First Friday crowds and how folks may use the space as a casual jumping point from point a to point b. Consider all angles!
Remember, when placing things like decorative, or even direct, lighting, or plants, barriers, etc., that these should be part of the décor but not be obtrusive or blinding, and generally, a successfully plan is where everything ties together uniformly, without discomfort.
