Five Ways to Give Your Restaurant a Summer Refresh

Summer is officially upon us, and while the general public are planning fun ways to make the most of the sunshine, hospitality businesses will be focusing on how to make these next few months as successful as possible.

 

Summer is the busiest time of year for restaurants across the country: with more people out and about, there is plenty of fresh custom to spontaneously pop in for a drink, a snack or even a whole meal. As a restaurant owner, this means that you need to be coming up with innovative ways to make your establishment stand out from the competition. If you’re stuck for ideas, don’t panic: we’ve put together five easily actionable ways to give your restaurant a refresh for the summer season to help get those patrons through the door.

1.     Perfect Your Patio

Naturally, your outdoor space is going to be in high demand during the summer months. This means that perfecting your patio’s appearance and functionality is one of the most crucial things you can do for your restaurant when the weather starts to heat up. Beautiful plants, lighting and even some blankets or heat lamps for chillier evenings are all good places to start to make the space more inviting, but you also need to leave enough room to accommodate plenty of chairs and tables that capture as much of the sun as possible.

2.   Add Some Summer Colour

Summertime colours will immediately make your restaurant more appealing, and can be incorporated on everything from your table linens to staff uniforms and menu design. From terracotta to turquoise, adorn your establishment with hues that reflect the sunny environment you are trying to cultivate.

3.   Lighten Up Your Menu

Let’s face it: no one wants to eat warm, hearty meals when it’s hot out, least of all your customers. Try catering your menu to focus more on lighter, more refreshing dishes that take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables. You could even use the opportunity to introduce some exclusive summer specials to intrigue repeat customers.

4.   Don’t Forget Drinks!

While many will be eager to try your summer menu, others will be more intrigued by what drinks you have on offer. After all, what’s summer if you can’t give your guests a place to sit back and enjoy a few cocktails in the heat?

 

While there are countless examples of classic summer cocktails that your bar staff are probably already familiar with, don’t be afraid to experiment and add your own special twist to help your drinks menu stand out.

5.   Entice with Promotions

As mentioned above, summer is the best time to attract new clientele, and some fun promotions are a great way to do this. Whether you choose dinner and drinks deals to events, this marketing approach appeals to all types of customers - from couples to friend groups or family parties. You can decide whether to have the promotion running for a limited time or the entire summer.

Complete Your Summer Refresh with Table Linen Hire

If you’re looking for some lighter-coloured restaurant tablecloths and linen napkins for the summer season but don’t want to purchase outright, why not consider table linen hire? At London Linen, our commercial laundry service grants hospitality businesses access to high-quality linen items in a variety of stunning hues - all supplied and laundered by our experienced team. Our service is entirely flexible, and we’ll never rope you into a long-term contract that you don’t require. For more information, please get in touch.