Decorating bar terraces and restaurants, how to do it this summer

Decorating bar terraces cannot go unnoticed this summer, to capture the attention of customers looking for a good time with friends or family.

When decorating the terraces of restaurants or bars it is important that you put as a priority the comfort of the client, in the face of the high temperatures that are experienced in the season.

Take a look at what are the recommendations for decorating restaurant and bar terraces, what elements you have and what not to use in the design.

Easy-to-follow tips to help your business succeed.

Keys to decorate a terrace bar and stand out from the competition

The decoration of a terrace bar is a fundamental element to encourage people to visit your restaurant, offering a unique space where they can enjoy the gastronomic offer you have on your menu.

That is why we propose some keys that you have to follow, so that you have a terrace decoration that makes you stand out, attracts your customers and complies with current legislation.

Focus on your customer

The decoration of a terrace bar has to be focused on the comfort and ambience that the type of customers visiting your establishment are looking for.

A tip to achieve this is to take into account the target audience of your business and create a design that suits their needs.

Study your target audience, analyse their tastes, conduct surveys and involve them in your decoration, from the very beginning of the idea.

Remember the decorating maxim: Less is more

When decorating a terrace bar, the principle that less is more also applies, in order to have a balanced and comfortable space.

Having an excess of unnecessary decorative elements on terraces – such as fountains or sculptures – makes it difficult to take a seat or leave the establishment. Also, too many objects can make the atmosphere heavy and overwhelm diners.

The best recommendation you can take into account when decorating restaurant or bar terraces is to use neutral-coloured furniture and certain decorative elements that add colour, such as cushions or paintings.

First and foremost: Comfort

What people are looking for when they are on a bar terrace is a comfortable setting, where they can spend a pleasant moment, taking their mind off reality.

To do this you must buy furniture in accordance with the size of the establishment, which allows you to organise your restaurant, respecting the distances and ensuring that they are not a nuisance for the transit of diners and waiters.

Another important aspect of comfort is that customers want to sit down to chat with their friends or colleagues, so chairs should not be made of hard or rough materials.

Offer the privacy you would seek for yourself

Another key aspect in the decoration of restaurant terraces is to guarantee the privacy of the diners, as it is uncomfortable for passers-by to look out onto the terrace and watch the customers consuming their dishes or drinks.

To avoid unpleasant moments for diners, use materials that serve as a curtain to provide a quiet and private service.

Some of the materials you can use are dark tarpaulins, walls made of bamboo poles and wooden planks or tall bushes.

If you don’t want to cut off the view to the outside, you can use materials that block the view to the inside, but allow you to enjoy the view to the outside from the terrace.

The lighting should be ideal for your target audience

Terraces are ideal spaces during the day, as they have natural lighting. But does that mean they can’t be used after dark?

On the contrary, you should make the most of bar terraces by using lights that complement your decorative elements

You can use hanging lights, candles on each of the tables, lanterns with LED bulbs, or furniture with lights inside.

Little sun, more shade

The sun is a great ally for the use of terraces, as long as it does not disturb the diners during the service.

For this, it is important to have folding umbrellas or awnings, which allow customers to enjoy their stay in the shade if the sun begins to bother them.

Innovate without overdoing it

Creativity in the decoration of restaurant terraces is an aspect that must be exploited, until the image you want to convey is achieved.

The first step is to choose the style line and the colours to be used to decorate the bar terrace. With this, you can begin to innovate with some of the elements that compose it.

For example, so that the floor of the terrace is not simple ceramic or asphalt, you can place a wooden floor or artificial grass to attract attention.

If space and style allow, incorporate plants into the design to separate areas and ensure a relaxed atmosphere on the terrace.

Make an impact from the entrance

You should not only focus on the decoration of a terrace bar, but also on the entrance of the establishment.

Don’t forget that the entrance is the first impression that customers will have about your business and will be one of the reasons why they will decide whether to enter or move on.

Make sure the windows are clean, the sign is visible, the paintwork is in good condition, there is a defined parking area and the external decoration is neat and tidy.

Would you enter a restaurant with a poorly maintained entrance and make a bad impression? The same answer will be given to your diners.

Fundamental senses for the decoration of restaurant terraces

Although it is believed that sight is the only sense that matters when talking about the decoration of restaurant terraces, in reality every one of the diners’ senses must be taken into account.

The sight must capture the harmony between each of the decoration elements, their colours and textures. To enhance it, it is important to install a good lighting system, which allows to detail with clarity and provide a cool or warm atmosphere to the terrace.

In terms of smell, restaurant terraces can be invaded by unpleasant smells for diners. Therefore, it is necessary to counteract them with the use of air fresheners or scented candles, which are also part of the decoration.

Hearing is another sense that should be stimulated, with music according to the concept and opening hours. This is noticeable when visiting an establishment during the day, where quiet music is played, as opposed to night service, where lively and cheerful music is used.

The sensations and textures during service are also important during service, with customers establishing a relationship between what they feel and the decoration of a terrace bar.

Finally, taste is a sense that is in the hands of the chefs and bartenders who prepare each item on the menu. So, to awaken the palate, they have to use quality products and delicious and innovative flavours.

Elements to consider when decorating restaurant terraces

There are some items that cannot be missing in the decoration of a terrace bar. Otherwise, it is impossible for it to be open to the public.

Chairs, tables, umbrellas and fans are some of the elements that you have to have at your disposal. Don’t you have them? What are you waiting for to acquire them?

Parasols

Parasols in the decoration of a terrace bar are an element that elevates the quality of the service that customers receive.

If they are consuming their products and feel that the sun is strong, they only have to ask the waiter to -please- open the umbrella and they can continue enjoying the evening.

Although you can have umbrellas during any season of the year, you have to have them -yes or yes- during the summer to avoid diners suffering from sunstroke due to the long exposure to the sun.

Tables

Tables are indispensable items in the decoration of the terrace, for the waiters to serve the dishes and drinks that the customers will consume.

They are usually made of materials such as stainless steel, plastic or aluminium, as they are easy to clean and affordable.

However, you can set yourself apart from the rest by decorating restaurant terraces with oriental-style wooden tables with comfortable cushions for your customers to sit on.

Chairs

As a decorative element of restaurant terraces, chairs must have a design, colours or materials that match the table.

You can choose between benches, chairs, armchairs with cushions or use cushions for customers to enjoy the service.

These choices will depend on the design style you have chosen for the decoration of the terrace bar and the establishment in general.

Remember that it is important to maintain harmony in both environments.

Fans: A must!

Although the terraces are outdoors, there are days when it is necessary to have a fan to combat the intense summer heat.

The most recommended are the misting fans.

This type of fan has the ability toreduce the temperature on the terrace by up to 10° Celsius less.

Prohibited from terrace bar decoration

When decorating a terrace bar it is important to be creative, avoiding using decorative elements that cause problems to the establishment or break with the comfort your customers are looking for.

Know which are the elements that you should not use inside your terrace bar, to avoid breaching any regulation of the city council and to avoid the revocation of the authorisation to operate the terrace bar.

Artificial plants

If you want to add decorative elements such as plants or flowers, make sure they are natural and well maintained.

Artificial plants are bad for the image you want to convey to your customers, as they give the impression that you didn’t put much effort into the decoration of the terrace bar.

Audiovisuals

One of the main items that are not allowed on the terraces are televisions or LED screens, where sports events, news, films or any other programming are played.

This rule must be complied with to avoid causing crowds around the terrace and the business incurring a fine.

Shows

Like televisions, concerts or live shows are not an option on the terraces.

If you wish to offer live music, you are obliged to do so inside your establishment.

Cookers and Coolers

Cookers, refrigerators, ovens and other food storage and cooking equipment must be in the kitchen, not on the terrace.

Only crockery, glasses and cutlery may remain on a shelf inside the terrace, in order to save time for the waiters when serving the table.

Lighting

Lighting is a fundamental element, which can never be missing in the decoration of a terrace bar, but it also has its regulations.

When installing the lighting systems you have to avoid the use of spotlights, bulbs with intermittent lighting or coloured bulbs.

When thinking about terrace bar decoration do not forget the legal aspects

The city council of each city has its own regulations for the management of the terraces in the locality, which may vary from year to year and establish the conditions for their use.

Firstly, there are the opening hours of the terraces, which can be set at 12 midnight or in the early hours of the morning.

Another common regulation is that bar terraces – including their decoration – are not allowed to occupy more than 50% of the pavements.

In general, the regulations limit the opening of terraces according to the seasons of the year, giving preference to those that offer more income to the business, such as summer.

In order to have a better knowledge of the legal aspects of the terraces, we advise you to visit the town hall of your community and find out what the conditions are for obtaining authorisation to have a terrace.

Essential for decorating restaurant terraces

The decoration of bar and restaurant terraces is not limited to the furniture you use. It also includes items such as tableware, which are important for attention.

At Monouso, our online shop, we offer you the products that every restaurant business needs to serve dishes and drinks. Each one of them, at affordable prices and with the quality you need for your business.

Within our catalogue you will find plates, glasses, jugs, trays, cutlery, containers, stirrers, straws and napkins that complement the decoration, with a variety of colours, shapes and sizes.

Choose the products that best suit your restaurant concept, make the payment and wait – up to 48 hours – for them to arrive at the address of your choice.

In addition, the delivery of your products is free with a consumption of more than 59 €.

What are you waiting for? Don’t miss this opportunity and let our products highlight each of the decorative elements used for the terrace bar.