Commercial Products > Pubs and Restaurants

HOTELS, PUBS & RESTAURANTS

MAXIMISE YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE AND PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS WITH RETRACTABLE FABRIC AWNINGS SPECIFICALLY BUILT FOR COMMERCIAL USE.

Never has it been more important for a busy and successful pub, bar, cafe, hotel or restaurant to offer their customers alternative, trendy, inviting, and alfresco type drinking and eating facilities on their premises. The products to enable this now exist in abundance as we start to catch up with our European neighbours in outdoor living.

From sun shade protection to rain and wind protection, patios, gardens, terraces, dining areas or relaxing spaces – Samson Awnings has it covered!
Not only does it create additional space outside and therefore additional revenue for your establishment, it can also make a superb, unique and featured area to be promoted for more outdoor functions and parties. Even to the point of booking only..

Our great British weather is definitely becoming far more unpredictable, so ensuring your outside space can be used for most of the year is essential. Larger retractable fabric or louvered roof systems, or fixed glass or polycarbonate roof systems are all options for medium to large areas.
Careful consideration to the rainwater dispersal and also the management of many of these systems is essential to ensure longevity and to make sure they perform as expected.

Awnings have been used for centuries to protect from the sun and help keep spaces cooler, but also correctly specified are used for rain protection too, creating outdoor space where staff and customers can rely on protected seating and space for many more months of the year.

WHY AN AWNING OR CANOPY IMPROVES YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

So many more people are experiencing either the European cafe culture than ever before when on holiday or business trips. With our own climate becoming warmer (yes, apparently!) and ever since the Covid pandemic we are more used to being outside and appreciate the benefits too. Natural light, fresh air and all the health benefits, but whilst being protected from the intense UV rays of midday in the summer and then the annoying rain of the spring and Autumn months.

The hugely unreliable UK weather can be controlled with using the right awning or canopy system.

It is generally seen that with good, fit for purpose, weather protection from an awning or canopy, you can extend the whole year outside by about 4 months extra. Al fresco entertaining, drinking and eating for most of the year with the darkest, coldest and dampest months left alone and not welcoming in any way.
The usual trick to keep customers comfortable outside, when the weather has turned slightly, in the early and later summer months, is to protect from rainfall, but also protect from the effects of cooling winds. Retractable and fixed sides to many of our outdoor systems can be retrofitted or built in at the point of installation. With sunshine protection it is often a 50/50 split, with people who want to sit in the sun when eating and drinking, and those who want to keep out of it, but do enjoy the warmth and natural light. Of course many of our systems can also incorporate lighting and heating so you can extend the evenings too with your customers.

MINIMAL BUILDING WORK AND FAST INSTALLATIONS

The smoking ban of 2007 forced many people outside and since then this would have been seen as an opportunity to offer alternative, but also inviting areas where the customer can eat, drink and smoke in comfort if they wish, without upsetting non-smokers, who also have the option to be outside or inside. Opinions have perhaps changed even more recently, but the pandemic arguably forced even more people outside than anything ever experienced before.

Many of the solutions Samson Awnings can provide for your establishment require careful planning and obviously in some cases local planning permission too, however most systems do not require any major building works or traditional building foundations like an extension would require. Many systems can easily be considered temporary structures too. Older hotels and pubs can have many issues with building heights and suitability of older walls so stand alone structures can help here bu also be considered temporary for planning purposes.

A lot of the options we provide can be purchased and erected in no time at all to give additional seating and therefore extra potential revenue. Properly planned, the outdoor schemes can also give a massive boost to your brand reputation and engagement with customers.

 

Commercial weather protection solutions are our speciality, chat with our team and discover the best option for your business today! Call our experts on the number below.
01933 448 844

OUR SYSTEMS

Samson have been specifying and installing high quality fixed and retractable canopy and awning solutions since 2006 with vast experience in commercial applications, small, medium or large in size. Most systems are totally bespoke in their size, but also the colour and final specification, whether it is a giant umbrella with open sides, or a fully enclosed aluminium pergola structure with glass sliding doors and blinds along with lighting and heating for the night time.

✓ Bespoke sizes and specification – small, medium or large size structures
✓ Modular designs – Add extra protection later when you understand more what is needed
✓ Fabric, glass, polycarbonate and louvre aluminium roof systems
✓ Brand logo printing. Lettering and image reproductions for promotion
✓ Manual and electric operation with smart safety sensors for protection in storms
✓ Barriers for wind protection and privacy in polycarbonate, glass and fabrics
✓ LED lighting and Infra red heating options for all systems offered
✓ Bespoke bracketry and framework when buildings have difficult obstacles and shapes
✓ Wall mounted or stand alone systems to suit your site

ALUMINIUM STRUCTURES

We specialise in retractable aluminium pergola type structures, having been one of the early sellers of these systems from Northern European manufacturers when they first developed in around 2009 in the UK. In terms of wind resistance and the ability to retract in the wintertime or very bad weather, these systems offer the best in protection from sun and rain, but also have high wind resistance.
The aluminium structures will also enable many additional options for infilling, whether the system is fixed or retractable.
We offer free standing or building mounted models to suit the requirements on site.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Some Hard Facts?

Over half of Brits (52%) prefer to dine outdoors in the summer, with 48% of those doing so as it improves their mental wellbeing, according to OpenTable commissioned survey

To help diners find a new favourite outdoor terrace or beer garden, OpenTable launches its 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in the UK recently. More exposure will follow on this kind of attraction to a pub or restaurant generally.

OpenTable’s new commissioned research2 unveils pub gardens as the most sought-after venues for outdoor dining amongst Brits (65%), followed by waterfront restaurants (42%).

18 – 24 year olds splash out the most compared to any other age group when dining al fresco in the summer: 58% say they’re more likely to spend more money on food and drink (UK average: 31%) and 29% say they tip more
Summer is here and newly commissioned research from OpenTable reveals that more than half (52%) of Brits prefer to dine outdoors during the summer. To help diners find the perfect al fresco spot, OpenTable releases its annual list of the UK’s 100 Most Popular Outdoor Dining Restaurants, featuring a wide variety of spots all the way from St Ives to Glasgow.

“With over half of UK diners preferring to dine al fresco this summer, it gives restaurants with outdoor seating a brilliant opportunity to elevate and make the most of their outdoor spaces,” says Robin Chiang, VP of Global Sales and Services, OpenTable.

Research shows that pub gardens reign supreme when dining outdoors: nearly two-thirds (65%) of UK diners most often look for pub gardens when dining outdoors, followed by venues with waterfront views (42%). With the very unpredictable climate we now see each month, regardless of season, wouldn’t you like to have some predictable and reliable outdoor covered space to ensure the best chance of customers engaging and remaining in place, even if the weather has a wobble?

Important Decision Factors…

Choose a Strong and Established Brand.

With the explosion in outdoor living and entertainment there are a lot of new companies trying to get a foothold in the UK. You need to be sure you do your research and install an established brand for a large commercial outdoor structure of any kind, not only for your own peace of mind, but for the safety aspects and longevity. Most canopies and awnings for the UK are best coming from a German, Dutch or Belgian company, along with a few very good Italian manufacturers. The products need to have been tested and designed to be used in all weathers and not just Mediterranean sunshine..
These countries have been doing this a lot longer than we have in the UK. We have a few UK manufacturers but again, beware as many are simply ‘assemblers’ and making the products from component parts, so not necessarily tested in a real environment.

Use Modular Systems if you are not sure or your budget is limited….

Use Modular Systems if you are not sure or your budget is limited….
Many of the outdoor products we offer can start their life as a simple canopy but then develop to have an enclosed front and sides, once you see how things work out. A retractable roof system can have sliding glass doors and a vertical fabric blind fitted later on to provide better control of the rain and wind. You can add lighting and heating to the system once you see how the basic product works with your overall scheme and ideas.

Aesthetics…

Many systems are now available where the main structure uses a flat roof design but the fixed or retractable roof internally is on a slope for rainwater drainage. Many commercial properties often lack the fixing height for a sloping traditional system and many modern buildings need the flat roof design to look right. A good deal of our retractable awning systems have a great deal of choice when it comes to design and some of the framework systems are also important in the overall look and feel as well as performance.

Customer and Revenue Increases…

A properly specified outdoor weather protection system can provide massive extra revenue for your business….
Some basic calculations provide interesting reading for many owners serving drinks and food.

They are based on established facts from experience in existing schemes around the UK and Europe. We have several customers who predicted the costs for developing their outdoor space would be paid for within 6-12 months and then realised later it only took 3-4 months!!

Example for a Retractable Roof Pergola System

✓ Standard Restaurant in West Midlands
✓ Seats available in outdoor covered area: 36
✓ Sales per person per day average: £30
✓ Use of seating each 1.5 times per session for lunch and evening (3 times)
✓ Use of patio without Pergola System: average 15 days/month
✓ Use of patio with Pergola System: average 22 days/month
✓ Potential ADDITIONAL Income per MONTH £22,680
✓ 47% INCREASE in monthly use of outdoor space!!

Example for a Glass Veranda with Sliding Glass Doors

✓ Upmarket Restaurant in North London
✓ Seats available in outdoor covered area: 24
✓ Sales per person per day average: £65
✓ Use of seating each 1.5 times per session for lunch and evening (3 times)
✓ Use of patio without Glass Veranda: average 15 days/month
✓ Use of patio with Glass Veranda: average 28 days/month
✓ Potential ADDITIONAL Income per MONTH £60,840
✓ 87% INCREASE in monthly use of outdoor space

Example for a Large Retractable Roof Pergola System

✓ Trendy Hotel by the South Coast of Devon
✓ Seats available in outdoor covered area: 45
✓ Sales per person per day average: £75
✓ Use of seating each 1.5 times per session for lunch and evening (3 times)
✓ Use of patio without Pergola cover: average 16 days/month
✓ Use of patio with Pergola cover: average 28 days/month
✓ Potential ADDITIONAL Income per MONTH £121,500
✓ 75% INCREASE in monthly use of outdoor space!!

The benefits and revenue are obvious, but it is important to get it right at the outset and not cut corners. We have seen many blunders over the years with underspecified framework or goalpost frames to support canopies, only to then break in the wind.
The other important thing to remember is that this is still an ‘outdoor space’ and not a fully insulated and building regulation compliant extension. There will be many times when it just isn’t going to be nice enough to use the outdoor area. Too damp, cold and dark. As a reminder, we generally see a great outdoor covered space adding on around an extra 4 calendar months in a standard year, but it also adds longer evenings and extra days in the normal summer months too. In a ‘normal’ year you would be using the newly covered space in April and May and then also October and November on top of the summer months. This does all depend on your site of course and its location along with the aspect. A north facing outdoor area doesn’t work very well at all generally.