Whether you’re in a location where outdoor dining has always been in demand or yours is one of the many restaurants that got its first taste of al fresco service when restrictions forced eateries to rethink customer accommodations, you know there’s value in extending your business footprint and catering to patrons who want to enjoy a little fresh air and people-watching with their pasta primavera.
From curbside counter dining to table service in the back courtyard to a repurposed slice of the parking lot offering a place to relax with appetizers while waiting for a table, pergolas offer a lot of versatility at a low cost.
As more and more cities vote to make outdoor dining structures permanent, now's a great time to consider the benefits a pergola could offer to your diners… and your bottom line.
1. Extend your seating
By adding a pergola, you can create a new outdoor space for dining without having to invest in a major construction project. A dining pergola can increase the number of patrons you’re able to accommodate—and more meals served means increased profits for your restaurant.
LINX Pergola at Fruity Moto & Mutt Lynch Winery in Windsor, CA
2. Expand affordably
A pergola can be an affordable addition to your restaurant's dining accommodations, especially compared to the expense of building a completely new dining space. Indoors, you’re limited by space, logistics, the need to suspend or reduce your current service, and the cost of hiring professionals for a slew of budget-busting necessities like electrical, flooring, wall preparation, ventilation, and so on.
Adding an outdoor pergola, on the other hand, is a very small-scale project. Whether choosing a contractor for the installation or taking on the construction yourself, a pergola can be a revenue-generating space at minimal cost, providing an impressive return on investment.
3. Build quickly
The simplicity of a pergola lends itself to a quick installation. In fact, putting up a new pergola in an afternoon is not out of the question. When compared to timelines of weeks or months to construct an additional or expanded interior dining space—if your restaurant’s footprint can even support it—building a pergola is lightning fast.
4. Offer options
Air-conditioned or heated dining inside, open air dining outside. By providing a choice, your establishment is more attractive to more diners, particularly those who are looking to take advantage of pleasant weather. Whether you have a mild year-round climate or need to seize every moment outdoors before the seasons change, a dining pergola lets your patrons enjoy good weather and good food at the same time without having to sacrifice. And, as codes permit, you can still provide cozy pergola dining when the weather gets chilly by introducing portable heaters.
LINX Pergola at Valette in Hearldsburg, CA
5. Grab interest from passers-by
A dining pergola in front of your restaurant is a great advertisement. Passers-by aren’t going to peer into your windows to verify that people are having a good time inside, but when your guests are seated at your curbside pergola, others can readily see that your restaurant is the place to be.
BONUS: Outdoor dining can help fill indoor seats, too. If limited outdoor seating is in high demand, you’ll still find that many who were drawn to your restaurant by the lure of outdoor dining will still choose to dine indoors if there are no immediate openings outside.
6. Define your space
A pergola provides a sense of enclosure and intimacy—making the space more appealing to customers—whether you opt for a dining pergola with slats, a fabric sunshade, or no top at all. The structural posts and beams really delineate your space and give it purpose, transforming an undefined area into a destination.
LINX Pergola at Saranac Public House in Spokane, WA
TIP: Add Wild Hog mesh panels to your LINX pergola for additional space definition that also serves as the perfect trellis for climbing vines.
7. Differentiate your restaurant from the competition
A pergola may be a simple structure, but it’s one that stands out—and draws people in. A pergola creates an inviting and attractive outdoor dining area. In the evening, given the choice between dim tables set up on the sidewalk or sitting beneath a pergola strung with warm, glowing lights, the pergola wins every time.
TIP: STIX hollow core timbers are ideal for concealing electrical wire or cords so you can add lighting or fans to your dining pergola without introducing unsightly tripping hazards.
STIX hollow timbers conceal lighting cords and wires
During the lunchtime heat, when the outdoor dining decision comes down to your pergola seating with climbing vines and a sunshade or those same sidewalk tables sitting in the beating sun, again, your pergola wins.
Get started on your dining pergola
Be sure to understand your local building codes and regulations and once you’re clear on what’s permissible, start planning for what’s possible! Choose a pergola kit, a pergola project, or design your own custom pergola.
LINX Pergola at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Concord, CA
The LINX Pergola System makes building your new outdoor single- or multiple- bay dining structure a snap, and our LINX Pergola Planner makes choosing the right components just as easy: Design your wooden pergola in just a few clicks and get exactly what you need—from your high-grade steel hardware and engineered structural timbers to sunshades to keep your diners comfortable—to expand your restaurant accommodations… and your profits.
TIP: For assistance with your unique pergola designs, request a free pergola quote from our DIY experts!
Be sure to check your local building codes before starting your pergola project and follow all rules, regulations, and requirements.