Getting Your Restaurant Ready For Patio Season

On behalf of the entire Canadian POS staff, we hope you all enjoyed an amazing Victoria Day long weekend! We know that, for most Canadians, this past “May 2-4” marked the unofficial start of summer. Many of you may have spent some time in cottage country. Some others likely fired up the barbeque at home. One thing is clear – patio season is definitely drawing near!

If you’re a restaurant owner, this is a very exciting time of year. The warmer weather enables you to welcome a lot more guests as you can open up your patio and seat customers in the great outdoors. Of course, Canadian winters can do some damage to your patio section. Combine that with several months’ worth of being without this special space of your restaurant and you have some work to do to get it going again.

Give it a bit of a facelift.

There are few things that entice customers more than a renovated space. Naturally, you’ll have some cleaning up to do before you open your patio back up to the public. But you may want to consider changing some things around to make it look different than it did a year ago. Can you change the seating to accommodate more guests? Is there an area that can be dedicated to live music?  Can you set up a bar outdoors?

“After a long and vacant winter, your restaurant’s dining patio is sure to require a deep and thorough cleaning,” BuildItByDesign.ca reminds us, “From gum and debris to broken odds and ends – take the time to revive your patio space into a fresh and inviting atmosphere. (A little paint can go a long way!)”

Introduce summer specials.

It’s the perfect time of year to introduce new seasonal offerings. This is especially true when it comes to drinks. Hanging out on the patio and sipping cold ones go hand in hand. Be sure to advertise your summertime drink specials so that your patio is never empty. Don’t stop there. Enticing dessert items will also help make your restaurant’s patio a go-to destination.

“When it comes to summertime, anything that helps customers beat the heat will do,” writes Cinnamon Janzer on LightspeedHQ.com, “Adding items ice cream dishes is easy and always a warm-weather favourite. If you’re not up for doing it yourself, consider partnering with a local dessert food truck or ice cream cart for an evening each week and making an event out of it.”

Extend your hours.

Not only does the warm weather give you the option of utilizing your outdoor space, it also enables you to keep your doors open longer. Warm summer nights are excellent times to welcome guests to your establishment. Why not extend your hours throughout the summer to cater to the night owls looking for a place to grab a bite and have a drink?

“As people tend to dine later into the evening hours during the summer months, consider extending your restaurant’s business hours to accommodate,” suggests says BuildItByDesign.ca, “Combining these extended hours with late-night menu options, featured drinks and live entertainment may also provide profitable incentives that fill your restaurant’s patio with loyal, happy customers all summer long!”

Finally, make settling bills on your patio quick and easy for your customers. Call Canadian POS to learn how the Poynt Smart Terminal can help you have your most successful patio season ever! Call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.