Making the most of your outdoor space
The sunshine is here, and I’m here for it! Whether you’ve got a beer garden, a roof top or even just a tiny sun spot in your hospitality venue, the key to making sales is all about speed and ease.
You don’t have to have a lot of time or money to make a difference- even the smallest changes can make a huge difference.
Keep reading for my top 5 tips on how to make the most of your outdoor space- and get those tills ringing!
Create premium pricing to reserve outdoor spaces
A lot of places don’t offer outdoor seating as a bookable option: yet, when the sun is blazing it’s the only place people want to sit.
Think about ways you can make the most of the potential revenue; maybe it’s asking for a higher deposit to sit outdoors, or asking guests to order from a particular menu. This isn’t anything new- plenty of restaurants in European countries such as Italy and Spain have been doing this for years.
You want your top paying guests to feel like they can have the experience they want- and it’s not unreasonable for you to make the most out of that opportunity, too.
Check out these examples of restaurants employing this tactic: at Darwin Brasserie- Sky Lounge you’re asked for a £10 charge for a premium window seat, and at Trafalgar St James they ask for a £50pp minimum spend on outdoor tables over the weekend.
2. Set your table sizes correctly
Ever looked out across a sea of tables and realised that your lovely big 6 seaters are full of groups of 2? We’ve all been there.
It’s absolutely fine on quieter days, but when outdoor space is your biggest asset, you want to make sure that you’re making the most out of the space you have.
Make sure that your booking system is set up strategically; larger tables should have a larger minimum guest allocation and be easy for groups to book (read: autoconfirm!!). If you’ve got smaller groups, set those smaller tables for them or make sure that you’ve got any high tables for walk in only so you can still accommodate them as much as possible.
3. Order at table is a must
Let me tell you a fun little story about that time I was a waitress in a well known bar chain; we’ll call it Modka Bevolution.
As a central London bar, it was RAMMED every day of the year; but no more than when the sun was out and everyone practially RAN to the small terrace space.
It was impossible to keep up on a Friday, and I once had a whole table of 12 who ordered drinks, had a tab going- and yup, you guessed it- skipped town before paying the bill.
Having order-at-table technology not only stops the drink and dashers, it also takes the pressure off of your staff (especially in the summer months where you know you’re going to be understaffed about 30% of the time…yay for summer holidays!).
Order at table can also keep track of your inventory (no more angry guests ordering a dish that’s just run out), as well as inform on wait times and give you valuable data which can inform your future menu choices for outdoors and beyond.
Check out some of my favourite tech solutions- Me&u, Lightspeed and Sunday.
4. Make it speedy, bruh
What do outdoor spaces and corporate events have in common?
Everyone there wants a drink- fast.
If you’re curating an outdoor menu (or you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor bar), then keep it simple: have a selection of beers, a small spritz menu and a few frozen cocktails.
You might be tempted to show off your mixology skills, but trust me: there’s nothing fancy about waiting 40 minutes in a line that’s 6 deep.
5. If they don’t know, they won’t go
I know this sounds really obvious….but you’d be AMAZED how many times I’ve seen this missed.
If you’ve got a gorgeous outdoor space, you have to tell people it’s there! And we’re not just talking about your website: your socials should be popping off every time the sun comes out to entice the crowds to yours.
Make sure that you’re grabbing content when your outdoor space is full (there’s nothing less inspiring than a picture of an empty beer garden), and be reactive when it comes to sharing this content: you need to keep an eye on the weather and make the most of it.
In addtion, make sure your google business profile has been updated, so that whenever people are searching google maps they’re seeing a line about your great space.
Want more help with getting your summer to sizzle? Get in touch today to see how I can help you with your hospitality goals.