GardenForever.com - Patio Heaters

Summer is short. If you want to maximize the use of your property and create a comfortable environment for your guests, clients, or customers, you’ll want to make changes to ensure that your business is ready for cold weather. Use some of these tips and tricks when getting ready for winter:

Create Windbreaks

With a harsh, chilly wind, even the best patio heaters are often rendered less effective. Make sure that the space you’re trying to heat is enclosed. This can be done with a decorated fence, a “living” wall of shrubs, or a structural enclosure. Guests should be fairly protected from winds, so any large, wide spaces may need to be broken up into sections, with some sort of wall in between. You can get rather creative when designing your windbreaks. Match your restaurant’s theme, your hotel’s brand, or your company’s general look. A fine Italian restaurant could benefit from a wall of beautiful ivy, whereas a new hotel might do well with highly stylized pergolas. This step enables your guests to feel warmer and also to have more privacy.

Decorate for Warmth

Role-play as a customer sitting outside and find out how many uncomfortably cold objects you must touch during your meal. For instance, do you have to hold a harshly cold plastic menu? It could be replaced by thick paper. On very cold days, sitting down on an icy cold metal chair can be horribly uncomfortable. Perhaps a vinyl or canvas covering or cushion could be more appealing. Decorating for warmth can also involve creating the illusion of warmth by adding warmer hues and comforting artwork and images.

Develop a “Warm-up” Menu

Be prepared for cold customers with an appetite for warm foods and beverages. Hot plates with warm food outside can be a much better experience than a cold plate with a cold salad during the fall or winter. For a hotel or office, having a stash of warming tea or coffee in the general area can be a welcoming courtesy. Encourage the kitchen staff to create specials and menu items with outdoor customers in mind for colder-than-usual days.

Control Lighting

In certain areas of the country, spring and fall are complete wild cards, with temperatures below 30°F one day and above 70°F the next. So while you’re planning for cold, you should also plan for warmth by having market umbrellas that control the increasing or decreasing direct sunlight. Also, as evening hours change, a business owner also needs to be aware of outdoor lighting needs. Candles can ward off bugs, and strands of Christmas lights can create a magical ambience.

Install Patio Heaters

Before things get too cold, patio heaters can also be used to supply a bit of extra warmth so that your outdoor space can be used longer and your business can service more customers. These products are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, from small enough to fit on a table top to a massive structure that can be wheeled in or out of the area. Once it’s cold enough to call it quits, you can also find patio heater covers that can protect your product from the elements.

To maximize your space, browse the collection of available patio heaters at MJJ Sales. Call Fred or Megan at 888-655-7253 to fulfill your outdoor business needs!