Patios are especially popular eating areas for restaurants in summer weather. However, can patios really increase your profits? What makes building them so beneficial?

Fresh Air

Many potential customers love the idea of eating outside. That is why, in the warm months, grilling becomes more popular and so do picnics. There is something natural about humans that connects with the great outdoors. Offering a patio area would allow customers to enjoy the breeze and the fresh air outside while it is not too cold for it to be enjoyable.

Character

Expanding into a patio space will give you the ability to build the character of your restaurant. You may want an interior designer to advise you on what colors would work best with what you already have. You can add texture to the dining space by adding potted plants. This step is especially important if there are not very many natural items around your patio. The plants will help your guests feel more as though they really are enjoying the great outdoors. Make sure you spread the tables out a bit so that your guests can have a certain sense of privacy.

Expanded Eatery

Have you ever been to a restaurant where you really enjoyed the food, but the experience was not so great? The restaurant was simply too crowded. You had to wait a long time for a table, and the noise was too loud. Take from your experiences to make your restaurant better for your customers. By adding on a patio eating area, you will be expanding the amount of space you have to serve customers, meaning that you can serve more at a time.

Increased Revenue

The above three benefits will work to increase your revenue, more than you invested for the patio. Research done by an international restaurant and hospitality consulting group looked into whether or not building a patio from scratch was really worth the extra revenue. They said "Our research showed that with a proposed initial investment of $200k, the forecasted seasonal use return could result in $500k in sales. . . .gross profit of 65% was achieved." You will not only make back the money you spent on building the patio, you will also make a lot more. Consider that some of that extra money will need to be spent on hiring extra waiters and perhaps an extra kitchen worker. However, you will still come out benefiting from your decision to add a patio.  

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