Awnings for hospitality venues: What are the benefits?

Awning installations have become increasingly popular across the UK in recent years, as hospitality venues continue to embrace outdoor dining and creative outdoor spaces.

With manual, motorised and automated control options available, awnings give hospitality venues the opportunity to create a versatile external shade, able to be used throughout the year.

But what are some of the additional benefits that come with an awning installation? We discuss this further by touching on the four topics below:

• Maximise al fresco dining space
• Energy efficiency
• Branding opportunities
• Return on investment

Maximise al fresco dining space

Perhaps the most obvious benefit is how awnings can maximise a venue’s al fresco dining space.

Whether it’s a small area outside the shopfront or a large garden space, awnings give hospitality venues the chance to create additional sheltered outdoor dining spaces that can be used regardless of the weather.

Loaf bakery in Farnham is a fine example of this. With limited space at the front of one of their locations, they created a brilliant area for two customers to have a coffee and a pastry at while sheltered underneath their awning.

Furthermore, accessories like heating, lighting or speaker systems can be incorporated into the design to add another element to the awning.

Energy efficiency

While maximising the size of an outdoor dining area is one of the clearer benefits, improving the energy efficiency of a building is perhaps one of the most overlooked but important advantages of an awning.

By providing vital shade during the spring and summer, awnings help to reduce the temperature both underneath the system and inside the venue by minimising the impact of solar heat gain.

And creating a cooler internal environment allows hospitality venues to reduce their reliance on HVAC systems, which are both costly to run and damaging to the environment.

Branding opportunities

As the photos of Loaf’s awning demonstrate, awnings are an excellent way of adding a personalised element to your venue.

The fabric can be colour matched to suit brand guidelines and designed to include logos, slogans or key messaging, to really help the venue stand out.

Return on investment

Generating a return on investment is crucial for businesses in the hospitality industry. And all three areas discussed above showcase the opportunities available to generate this income.

Improving the overall aesthetics of the venue with a personalised, branded or decorative awning provides opportunities to promote the space on social media while also attracting passersby.

The extra dining space provides additional covers for venues, allowing more diners to visit, while improving the efficiency of the space can help to reduce ever increasing energy bills.

If you’d like to discuss an awning for your hospitality venue, please contact us here and our expert team will be delighted to assist.