Owning a cafe or restaurant anywhere in Australia can be a lucrative business, but only if done right. Often such businesses only open for breakfast and lunch, or just dinner meaning their paying high overheads and trading only 30-70% of the time. What if you were able to trade all day?
By being pro-active and installing outdoor umbrellas you can be well on your way to achieving this
Though there may be several different reasons why someone would want to get into the restaurant business, the main reason is always for profits. Unfortunately, with limited hours of operation, a restaurant’s profits can be limited. There may even be days where breaking even is difficult.
In this article, I’ll show you how you can easily improve your business and increase your profits by simply installing quality outdoor umbrellas. The idea is so simple, that you may even be wonder why you didn’t think of it years ago!
Take advantage of the weather
If there is one thing that we Aussie love, it’s the great outdoors. Rarely do you meet someone who prefers staying inside. Most people love spending time in the shade watching others passing by or enjoying the cool breeze.
The weather can reach scorching temperatures, but this can easily be solved by installing outdoor umbrellas. With one or more of these umbrellas, you can offer al fresco dining to your customers regardless of the weather!
Customers love dining in a cool comfortable environment so, take advantage of the weather whenever you can and you’ll quickly see your diners increase and profits begin to soar.
Make changes slowly
It’s not good business sense to make sudden changes. Doing so would be risking a significant amount of money on renovations without knowing if your customers would appreciate those changes. It’s best to test the waters and make minor changes to see if it would have a positive effect on your business.
By installing a couple of tables with outdoor umbrellas outside, you’ll be able see if your customers appreciate the changes or if the setup brings in more customers. Additionally, you won’t be risking a significant amount of money.
If business improves with the changes, then it’s a good sign to invest in more outdoor umbrellas or even a permanent shading solution so that more customers can enjoy al fresco dining.
Add menu items
Some dishes are perfect for indoor dining, while others are best eaten in a more vibrant atmosphere. As a restaurateur, you will have a better idea of what those particular dishes are. By adding them to your menu, you’ll not only be expanding your product line, but also show your customers that you have their best interests in mind.
You could also use this as a selling point. By informing customers that a few of your dishes are perfect for al fresco dining, you’ll be able to build on their curiosity. If they agree with your recommendations, it’s highly likely that you’ve just made them loyal customers.
Use an outdoor umbrella as a low cost branding tool
Branding is extremely important to every business, but more so for restaurants and cafes. The more that people recognise your brand, the more your business will improve. Outdoor umbrellas are perfect branding tools because you can have them customised to display your brand, inside and out. Most restaurants have a high signage that is only visible from a distance. People walking by seldom take the time to check the name of the restaurant.
Outdoor umbrellas that feature a restaurant’s brand name or logo are much more visible, even to passerbies. You may need to pay extra for customisation, but it will definitely be a good investment.
Conclusion
An al fresco dining area can work wonders for your restaurant or cafe, you just need to know how to use it to your advantage. By installing an outdoor umbrella, you can offer the services without investing a significant amount of money at the onset.
However, knowing our weather, it’s best if you invest in a high quality outdoor umbrella that uses Rainbow Shade DRiZ or Serge Ferrari fabrics. Our fabrics won’t be difficult to find because they are available all over the country, including the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Canberra.