In today's competitive hospitality industry, it's no surprise that those comfortable and creative dining experiences will naturally gain increasing popularity among customers. Al fresco dining - the art of enjoying meals outdoors in gardens, yards, terraces, streetside spaces, or other open-air settings - has become a blockbuster trend in recent years. This blog will guide you through everything about it - meaning, benefits, and style tips.
Al Fresco Dining Definition
Al fresco dining is also known as alfresco dining. It is an Italian term. Al fresco means outside. If we go deeper into it, the al is a preposition and indicates at/in, while the fresco indicates cool or fresh air. Al fresco dining thus means eating in the fresh air. Nowadays, it has become an ordinary English term to describe an eating experience under open air or nature reserves beside the lake, on the grass, or even under the stars.
Benefits of Al Fresco Dining
There are several important advantages of creating an al fresco dining experience for customers. It is not simply constrained to offer a cozy environment; it is more about increasing the public awareness of your restaurant. Now read more about some of its benefits:
Create a Comfortable Dining Environment
Enjoying meals in the open-air space means a wider view. Visitors are allowed to treat themselves to the beauty of nature while dining with their loved ones. This is how a relaxing atmosphere for most of your guests can be achieved. Not only does it allow them to connect with nature, but also an excellent way to break away for a while from their busy lifestyles.
In addition, al fresco dining is beneficial for physical as well as mental well-being. In the contemporary world, people get stressed about their lives. Having food outdoors, on one end, is an innovative way of enhancing the fine dining experience and stimulating digestion. On the other hand, al fresco eating means one can bask in sunlight. This is great in helping the body absorb Vitamin D and stay in a cheerful mood.
At the same time, eating in open-air spaces can strengthen the relationship between diners. To be specific, dining in an outdoor environment often gives people a casual, relaxing sense. This greatly reduces social anxiety, so that people can talk in a more relaxed way.
Just imagine the gentle background symphony - birds singing, water flowing, and leaves rustling - these white noises could soothe everyone's mood and dissolve awkward situations like sudden silence. So, for most people, dining al fresco is a perfect choice for intimate gatherings or first dates.
Increase Restaurant Capacity
Providing an al fresco dining experience to your customers is beneficial to increase the total capacity of the restaurant. Unlike traditional dining spaces set indoors, an al fresco restaurant has more outdoor areas. This means you have more spaces to capitalize on and accommodate more customers. And finally, this may generate a more profitable income.
Provide Vivid Advertising
When passersby encounter al fresco dining, they often naturally attach to this kind of innovative experience. Though dining al fresco may not be a fresh experience for most people, it is still more visually fascinating if compared with traditional indoor dining. So basically, the alfresco dining could serve as vivid advertising itself. As customers walk by, they may either rush into the restaurant right away or put it on their dining bucket list.
Convenient for Special Dining Groups
Another important highlight of creating an al fresco dining experience is its convenience. Due to the open, wide dining area, it is much more flexible to arrange seating for special dining groups, including guests taking their baby child or lovely pets. Then customers find that the whole dining experience will be much more relaxing and enjoyable than they think. So that's why more and more people tend to dine al fresco.
Style Tips for a Great Al Fresco Dining Experience
It does sound a little bit challenging to build an amazing al fresco dining experience, but that wouldn't be so much of a trouble. Here are 7 insightful tips that you can take as a reference:
Figure out Who You’re Designing For
Rule No.1, target your audience. Before you set off to create a stylish al fresco dining space, it is crucial to figure out who you're designing for and have a deep understanding of their preferences. You may need to do some necessary research. Making and sending questionnaires, browsing the Internet, or scrolling through social media platforms & groups, all of these are effective ways to know your target customers' expectations.
Make the Most of the Space You Have
In creating an al fresco dining experience, maximizing your space is key. It is easy to plan an al fresco restaurant on a patio garden, parklet, rooftop, backyard bistro, or even pedestrian street. Either place, you need to pair it with different themes and relevant decorations. Moreover, position the restaurant in a picturesque setting and make sure it is close to the kitchen to minimize wait times.
Warm note: If you wish to set up some seats on the pedestrian walkways or other special places, be sure to obtain the necessary permits from local authorities beforehand.
Be Ready for Sun and Chilly Nights
A big challenge of creating an al fresco dining experience is weather changes. You have to face the scorching hot and freezing cold days and nights. For most outdoor restaurant owners, one typical solution to the sun and chilly nights is to equip the space with additional systems for efficient temperature control. For example, you may add shade areas for the dining space when there is strong sunlight and cooling systems during cold days.
In fact, when creating an outdoor dining experience, many business owners would opt for dome tents. For one thing, they have an elegant design and could cause an attractive visual effect. For another, they are perfect for their super functions and adaptability, too. They are generally composed of a 100% UV protection and waterproof PVC cover, and a robust frame made from Q235 steel. These domes are highly suitable for extreme weather conditions.
Thus, domes have been a top choice for those who want to build their al fresco restaurants. They could prevent harmful ultraviolet rays in summer and resist strong wind & snow in winter. More importantly, the curved exterior and concave interior make it ready for both hot and freezing temperatures. Such a brilliant design helps stabilize natural airflow, which improves cooling and heating efficiency by 30%. These features allow guests to dine al fresco comfortably while saving the restaurant's energy costs.
Create a Vibe
The next assignment is to try to make your best shot and get a feel. Be careful when selecting elements and ornaments that have the capacity to bring life to your outdoor space. Standard decor prevalent in the majority of locales of al fresco dining includes lighting, foliage, and textiles. Particularly, remember to set out things like string lights, lanterns, plants in pots, cut flowers, tablecloths, and cushions. The key is getting it all to blend in harmony.
Choose the Right Furniture
Selecting and installing the right furniture pieces is also an important part of designing an al fresco dining restaurant. It is always those durable pieces that gain great popularity in this industry. They are often made of typical materials like wood, steel, glass, etc. At the same time, seating is a top priority. You should prepare enough tables and chairs, and make sure their designs (colors, shape, style, etc.) can perfectly coordinate with the major theme and other decorative elements.
Create a Photo-Worthy Spot
Most people would like to post their unforgettable moments on their social media platforms today. So grab this opportunity and create a photo-worthy spot for your customers. It is recommended that you set a specific area for them to take selfies or pictures of their happy time staying in your restaurant. Another effective way is to install visually appealing equipment in your space. The dining dome, known for its elegant and creative design, delivers exactly what you need.
Design for Use, Not Just Style
The final yet equally crucial tip - stay practical throughout the entire process of creating your al fresco dining space. The aesthetics still matter, but you should prioritize functionality and foresee challenges that you may come across during the actual operation. For example, you'll need to consider how service staff can move freely between tables, ensure guests sit comfortably, prevent dishes and decor from being disturbed by wind, and implement effective pest control measures.
Final Thoughts
As a fancy way of enjoying meals outdoors, al fresco dining has become a popular trend and is definitely worth an investment. It could do more to satisfy your customers, and eventually, make your restaurant highly profitable. Moreover, designing an al fresco dining space won't be so complicated as long as you've got the knack. So you can follow the tips mentioned above with confidence, and you'll find how helpful they are.
Meanwhile, choosing the right equipment is also a big part of creating an al fresco dining area. In terms of designing outdoor dining restaurants, dome tents are often used. These fantastic tents from Shelter Dome have always been praised by their clients. They are a mix of both functionality and elegance. Due to its panoramic view, when diners are staying under it, they are allowed to enjoy the gorgeous view outside while having a nice time with their loved ones.
Shelter Dome has been researching and developing domes for the past few years. Built in 2020 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the bubble restaurant is a good example of its excellent capability to customize domes for customers. Though faced with a series of difficulties, Shelter Dome has perfectly accomplished this case. Due to its transparent, dome-shaped exterior, large interior space, stunning view, and durability, this restaurant has helped attract numerous customers.
Wish to establish such an al fresco dining restaurant like that? Contact us today, and we will try our best to offer the best service in this area for you!
