Adding an awning to your restaurant is a great way to improve the customer experience and increase the curb appeal of your restaurant, as well as the overall value. Awnings are shown to increase revenue and customers will love the ability to dine outside without worrying about the sun or rain. Awnings come in a variety of styles, colors, and designs, so there’s plenty to consider before making a purchase!

Restaurant Awning Style

Awnings come in nearly ever style you can imagine. Determine what style will best match with your restaurant and your branding style. A down home country themed restaurant will want a different awning than an urban pub. Awnings can be personalized in their shape to perfectly fit the location you have in mind, so consider that before picking a style too!

Restaurant Awning Size

Determining the size of awning that you need begins with deciding where the awning will be placed. If you want awnings over doors or windows, the dimensions of the door or window will determine the size of the awning. For a larger awning that covers an outdoor patio area, measure the total area of the patio. It’s a good idea to get a slightly larger size than you think you need so that all guests on the patio will be covered.

Choosing the Right Restaurant Fabric

Awnings come in canvas, a variety of fabrics, metal, and plastic. Your location and the weather in that area will determine what type of fabric is best for you. In general, fabrics that are durable and provide UV protection are the best choice.

Fixed or Retractable Awning

Fixed awnings are designed to stay up all year round. A fixed awning can be manually disassembled for storage, but it will take some time to reassemble it again. Retractable awnings are a type of awning that can be put out when you need it and taken in, or retracted, when you don’t. This allows you to only use the awning when the weather requires it and lowers the risk of damage from having it out year-round. The retraction may be done using a hand crank or an electronic control depending on your price range.

Bonus Features

An awning has the ability to be much more than just an awning. Lights and speakers can be added to enhance the outdoor customer experience even further. You can also add in heating elements that allow the patio to be used during colder weather and retractable screens to keep insects out. Each bonus feature will raise the cost of your awning, but they will also raise your revenue!

To learn more about awnings and determine which type is right for your restaurant, contact Texas Custom Exteriors today!