Getting Your Restaurant Summer Ready

Summer is here which means warm weather and more time in the sun! As a restaurant owner or manager, it’s important that you note that guests will want to take advantage of the warm weather. The second that sun starts shining and the temperature is warm enough, you need to be prepared to seat guests on your restaurant patio. Like any deck, after a long winter your deck will need to be cleaned, decorated, and well-stocked to thrive all summer. A bit of deck and restaurant maintenance will help keep your patio be a popular, healthy and safe place to dine. In today’s blog Public Kitchen Supply will go over the steps you need to take for a beautiful restaurant patio or deck.
Before you even consider seating guests outside, assess the cleanliness of your deck or patio. If you restaurant has a deck, be sure to check for cracks or structural timbers. Sometimes, after a snowy winter, decks will develop cracks that will make it structurally unsound. Consider having a professional come in and inspect it to make absolute certain its safe. Another important step for patios and decks is to check for left behind nails, screws and other debris that can cause a customer to trip. Also be sure your outdoor areas are clear of any trash. After you have checked your deck or patios sturdiness and general tidiness you’ll want to clean it. Depending on it's level of uncleanliness, you may need to choose between powerwashing and using a concrete cleaner. Chemco’s Concrete Cleaner is a great chemical for concrete patios. It is excellent at removing tough, ugly stains that could have occurred over the long winter. To use Chemco’s Concrete Cleaner, just pour, scrub and rinse clean. Your deck will quickly go from grungy and filthy to that clean gray look of a freshly cleaned concrete patio that is ready for your customers.
Next, play up your patio. Small, inexpensive decorations can easily create a summer theme. Think of tiny ways your restaurant can embody the warm summer weather. Update International's Cocktail Parasols are a quick way to add some summer flair. These tropical cocktail parasols are perfect for an outdoor drink station or bar area. Customers appreciate tiny decorative touches like cocktail umbrellas in their drinks. They make a person feel like they're in the tropics, even if they're far from it. Find ways to incorporate other summer decorative items like bamboo skewers, like Update International’s 12” Bamboo Skewers, into summer recipes. Something about fresh veggies, delicious meats and sweet fruit brought together with a bamboo skewer, defines summer cuisine. Tropical decorations are a great way to set a fun, summertime mood and when mixed with the heat of summer, elevate any meal.
Non-breakable dishware is one of those overlooked detail that can drastically change a restaurant's feel. If broken, glass can be very difficult to pick up. Depending on the flooring, it may be hard to see the pieces or may get stuck in cracks. Broken glass not only exposes food to cross contamination, it can result in customer and employee cuts. Summertime means customers tend to wear more open-toed shoes and have more skin exposed. Dropping a glass plate or glass drinkware could mean disaster. To ensure your patio and deck areas stay safe, use durable, unbreakable dishware. We recommend Tablecraft’s Black Classic Oval Food Basket. This food basket is made out of polyethylene, it will not break or shatter when dropped. Food baskets are a great way to present food in casual dining environments. Tablecraft’s Black Classic Oval Food Basket is lightweight and is the perfect way to deliver foods like hamburger and fries.
Summer is an excellent time to take advantage of additional, outdoor seating. People enjoy relaxing out on a nice patio with the warmth surrounding them. Opening up your restaurant's patio can be an instant boost in sales if done right. Make sure your restaurant deck or patio is summer ready with these summer tips and tricks from Public Kitchen Supply. To view the products and manufacturers mentioned in today’s blog visit our website at PublicKitchenSupply.com.