Turn Outdoor Space Into Revenue: Why Hospitality Venues Are Investing in Shade & Shelter

For pubs, restaurants, hotels and cafés, outdoor space has become far more than an added extra. When designed and protected effectively, terraces, courtyards, beer gardens and dining areas can become valuable extensions of the venue – creating additional covers, improving the guest experience and opening up new opportunities to generate revenue.

The challenge, particularly in the UK, is the weather.

An attractive outdoor area may be full when the sun is shining, but without adequate protection from strong sun, wind and rain, its earning potential can quickly disappear when conditions change.

That is why more hospitality operators are looking at their outside spaces differently – not simply as seasonal areas, but as valuable commercial space that can be used for more of the year.

Making Every Square Metre Work Harder

For many venues, increasing capacity traditionally means extending, refurbishing or even relocating – all of which can require significant investment.

The space outside the building can present another opportunity.

By introducing professionally designed shade and shelter solutions, an underused terrace, patio or garden can be transformed into a comfortable and inviting area where customers want to sit, dine, drink and stay for longer.

Depending on the venue and space available, solutions can include commercial parasols, retractable awnings, pergolas and more permanent outdoor structures, together with options such as lighting, heating and weather protection.

The objective is simple: create an outdoor environment that customers can enjoy across a much wider range of weather conditions.

More Covers, More Opportunities

For hospitality businesses, every additional usable table has the potential to contribute to turnover.

Creating a more dependable outdoor area can help venues accommodate additional customers during busy periods, extend the outdoor dining season and make better use of spaces that might otherwise sit empty.

It can also provide greater confidence when accepting terrace reservations, hosting events or planning functions where unpredictable weather would otherwise be a concern.

And it isn’t only about increasing capacity.

A well-designed outdoor environment can become a destination in its own right – enhancing the appearance of a venue, creating atmosphere and giving customers another reason to choose one hospitality business over another.

Outdoor Space Shouldn’t Be Weather Dependent

At Rising Global & Emboss Outdoors, we work with hospitality businesses to help them realise the commercial potential of their outdoor spaces.

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, the right solution starts with understanding how a venue wants to use its space – from creating additional dining covers and sheltered drinking areas to developing premium terraces and outdoor hospitality environments.

With the right shade and shelter in place, operators can turn previously weather-dependent areas into spaces capable of working harder for the business.

As hospitality venues continue to look for ways to maximise capacity, improve the customer experience and generate additional revenue from their existing footprint, the opportunity could already be sitting just outside the door.

The question for operators is no longer simply, “How much outdoor space do we have?” – but “How much is that outdoor space earning us?”