Your restaurant’s outdoor seating area is a very important place. It’s often the place where people have a drink and food friends, relax with family or unwind on their own with a book. This is why we feel you should make this space as special as possible, after all you need to keep your customers happy if you want them to keep returning. So what makes a great outdoor space? One of the most important factors here is protection against sun, snow, sleet and hail.

The UK is not the friendliest of countries when it comes to weather, and even in peak summer months you can expect cold breeze and heavy rain, so you need to always be expecting the worst. Commercial parasols are incredibly popular, they provide people who smoke with shelter, they allow customers enjoy the beer garden even when the weather is up to no good and they also protect children from being sunburn on blisteringly hot days. Of course, these are just a few of the benefits, but when it comes to choosing a parasol that’s right for your beer garden or seating area, there are come considerations you need to make.

Size

The size is going to be important because as great as it is to offer shade, you don’t want to create a dark and dingy space with no sunlight. Sometimes rectractable awnings are a better option, but these do come at a price, whilst parasols are easier to manage, and as long as you don’t go overboard and pick a size that’s way to big, you can easily install one, move it from one place to another or adjust it for your customers depending on the conditions of the day.

Style

Parasols do come in many different styles, and you do have to think carefully about the colour, finish and look you’d like in your restaurant’s garden. If your restaurant or pub is branded with blue signs and banners, you could ensure you’re matching the décor with a blue parasol, whilst you can even have your logo added to the canvas to take the look one step further.

Functionality

Large hanging commercial parasols are so easy to open and close and the great thing is they do not have a pole going up through the middle. Instead, they can be constantly repositioned via tilting and rotating to offer maximum shade from the sun and rain. All god parasols will have an adjustable height and angle, and customers will be easily able to adjust it themselves without any prior knowledge of the product, but we’d always recommend you have a member of your team ensure everything is working properly.

Quantity

Depending on how many outside table or chairs you have, you may prefer to opt for numerous moderately sized parasols rather than one very big one. If you can find a size that perfectly accompanies your outdoor dining table, that may be all you need. You then just need to purchase one for each table and ensure they’re all matching in style.