outdoors
Time to think inside out
Outdoor space should be viewed as extension of premises, suppliers say
O
PERATORS seeking to develop an outdoor trading area should learn to think inside out. That’s the advice from bar, restaurant and hotel furniture suppliers, who advise licensees to view their outdoor space as an extension of their interiors. They say improvements in the design and quality of outdoor furniture means it’s never been so easy to give a beer garden the comfort and style people associate with bar interiors. “When you think outside, think inside
fi rst,” said Harvey Ockrim, MD of furniture supplier Satelliet-Browns. “I know it sounds cryptic, but what it really boils down to is the fact that
specialist outdoor furnishing ranges are now so sophisticated they can match the look and feel of interior furniture. “So you can actually look at what you have achieved inside your premises and aim to match or complement that quality in your outdoor areas.” Acknowledging that outdoor areas
were the “exception rather than the rule” until the smoking ban came into force in Scotland fi ve years ago, Ockrim said the trade has woken up to the potential of al fresco eating and drinking. And he reckons those who aim
to offer as much comfort and style outdoors as they do inside will benefi t.
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Outdoor furniture by Andy Thornton (left) and Satelliet-Browns (right) combines style and comfort. Outdoor areas have sprung up at bars, restaurants and hotels in the wake of the smoking ban.
“To its eternal credit the trade has made a virtue out of necessity and now outdoor eating and drinking areas are a major driver of revenue whenever the weather allows,” added Ockrim. “The days when your choice of outdoor furniture was excruciatingly uncomfortable aluminium tables and chairs have long since gone. “Outdoor furniture can be every bit as stylish and comfortable as the interior ranges. “That’s why we always tell customers to ‘think inside fi rst’ before thinking outside.”
Jerry Hodkinson, marketing manager at supplier Andy Thornton, said operators are demanding outdoor
furniture of “comparable quality to indoor”.
“In the current climate, when
there is so much competition for an increasingly discerning customer, a licensee that can provide an attractive outdoor area, however small, has a distinct advantage over the venue that doesn’t,” he said. “Gone are the days when a wooden bench outside a pub was all that was needed to attract customers wanting to have a drink outside. “Nowadays, licensees are expected
to provide terraces and patios with the latest designs of contemporary outdoor furniture, as well as canopies, parasols, heaters, screens and even planters.”
www.blindinglight.co.uk
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34 - SLTN - April 28, 2011
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