Monday, May 28, 2018

8 Ways to Enhance the Customer Experience in Your Restaurant


For veterans of the restaurant industry, it’s a well-known fact the market is shifting. Sales at chain restaurants are dropping, and customers are looking for something different. Not just a quick bite out, but a genuine, authentic dining ‘experience.’

How Can Your Transform Each Transaction into an ‘Experience?’
Like your consumers, you’ll need to shift your focus, thinking beyond the ‘things’ in the transaction (the meat and potatoes) to zoom-in and out on what surrounds those things: The experience. Doing this will help your business stand out to customers and keep them coming back. Zoom-In
        Think Local
Consider ways you can infuse the local element into your restaurant atmosphere. Customers prefer to support local businesses, from local restaurants, to locally-sourced food and fare. Noting locally-sourced food and items on a menu or announcement board helps customers connect with the food on their plates, and connect your restaurant with their community. Store local fruits and veggies in plain-sight. Display the works of local artists or pictures featuring regionally-inspired designs. Take advantage of a stellar surrounding landscape with the addition of an outdoor dining space.
        Be Community-Minded
Today’s customers are yearning to connect with others and the community. Create a positive persona, supporting or hosting community events during those times when patrons are few. Or add your own events, such as morning yoga or a weekly evening wine and canvas event on your patio or lawn.
        Get to Know Your Customer
Envision the type of customer you want to attract and tailor your atmosphere to them. Customers spend their time based on how a place makes them feel.
        Create a Sense of Belonging
Customers who feel like they belong will return more often.

Zoom-Out
        Enhance Curb Appeal
Look at your business from a ‘drive-by’ perspective. At glance, does it look interesting, fun, or engaging, inspiring potential patrons to check it out? The exterior of your business is an advertisement for what’s housed within.
        Think Outside the Box
Nothing offers an experience like al fresco dining. The ultimate dining trend, festive outdoor locales stimulate the senses, invigorating patrons, and inspiring food and drink indulgences as a means of escape outside the typical weekly monotony.  Creating a winning outdoor dining space  gives customers what they want, a connection with Mother Nature, their community, and their food. When incorporated with an adjustable aluminum pergola, customers can consistently receive unfettered access, yet still maintain the respite of sun and rain shelter at the touch of a button.
        Create an Ambiance
Instill your restaurant with a cohesive ambiance with a unified, genuine theme. A ‘canned’ atmosphere will not work for those seeking a unique dining experience. Though things like cozy seating, a fireplace centerpiece, an edible garden, or local art display won’t be applicable in every scenario, your aim should be a space with a unified theme, be it in design, mission statement, or idea. Things that spark conversation, interest or ‘buzz’ are ideal.
        Don’t Sidestep Comfort for Cost
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes: How long will you stay, and how often will you revisit, a restaurant with the most wobbly, hard, sticky chairs on the planet? If your sole focus is cost, your ‘experience’ will be sorely lacking. Enhance comfort and ambiance with carefully thought-out additions, such as…
o   Comfortable Furnishings
Warm, inviting, ergonomic furnishings and tasteful tableware showcase your restaurant’s reputation for quality, adding to the experience, upholding the average check, and keeping customers coming back for more.
o   A Mindful Design
Minimize bad tables and a ruined experience with a careful look at furnishing function and layout, eliminating seating near doorways, the kitchen, and restrooms. Avoid crowding tables or creating serving and traffic snafus.
o   Comfort Control Additions
The addition of an adjustable aluminum pergola allows your business to make the most of any weather situation, extending patron space and enhancing the experience with 170-degrees of rotational flexibility to provide shade, leak-free rain protection, or sun access and sky view. Integrated rain or wind sensors allow for easy operation on-demand, reducing staff responsibilities, and preventing customers from scrambling when inclement weather hits. Integrated fans create a space that feels up to 30-degrees cooler in the summer heat, and patio heaters and fireplaces provide warmth and ambiance on those chilly fall days. Integrated motorized screens eliminate pest concerns, helping safeguard highly-coveted outdoor dining experiences.

Make the most of all of your available space, indoor and out, creating an amazing dining experience for your clients. Schedule a complimentary design consultation, uncovering winning solutions for your restaurant’s unique brand and space. Contact Denver pergolas today.
This post was originally published at http://www.denverpergolas.com/8-tips-for-enhancing-the-customer-experience-in-your-restaurant/



Monday, May 21, 2018

10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Garden Space with a Pergola



Newly created outdoor living space feel like something is missing? An outdoor living space without a pergola is like a living or dining room without a roof: Missing the beauty and function of an integral asset.

The Simple Addition of a Pergola has Transformative Potential
How can you make more of your outdoor space with a pergola?
        Extend Use
Take advantage of the outdoors in any weather with 170-degrees of adjustable louver flexibility. With the Arcadia adjustable aluminum pergola, extending outdoor time in the summer hours is a breeze. Dial-in just the right amount of summertime shade or rain protection, or extend the cool weather season with unfettered access to the sun’s warmth. Enjoy a ceiling that doesn’t block the view of the night sky, creating outdoor memories year-round.
        Enhance Flexibility
Adapt to weather-changes easily and on-demand with remote control or smart-device driven iLouver operation, or for the ultimate in convenience, optional built-in rain and wind-sensing technology.
        Boost Comfort
With the added shade of motorized screens, keeping pests at bay and reducing glare from the sun. Help your family feel up to 30-degrees cooler with the addition of fans to your pergola system, or warm up with integrated patio radiant heating solutions.
        Integrate Lighting
Enhancing ambiance and improving function with mood or task lighting integrated into your pergola framework, extending your outdoor living enjoyment well into the evening.
        Create Visual Interest
Breaking up a boring outdoor landscape and upping the ante with the addition of a beautiful functional pergola, inspiring and enhancing greenery additions to add ambiance and visual interest.
        Go Green
Training vines to grow, or incorporating a living wall onto a nearby fence or wall real estate, keeping temperatures cool while enhancing the ambiance of your outdoor environment.
        Add Privacy
With motorized curtains, separating your outdoor space to create a rapid respite from family members or nosy neighbors.
        Get Cozy
With inviting, comfortable furnishings ideal for enjoying a book, morning cup of coffee or evening glass of wine, keeping items protected from the glare of the sun and icy rain.
        Add to Your Usable Living Space
With an attached pergola system, extending the roofline of your home over your outdoor living space to blur the line between the indoors and out, yet retaining all the function and flexibility an Arcadia adjustable aluminum pergola brings.

Outdoor living space less than impressive? We have the cure. Discover more about Arcadia adjustable aluminum pergolas from Denver Pergola Systems today.




Monday, May 14, 2018

6 Ways to Make Use of a Small Space with a Pergola

Outdoor space shockingly small? Many homeowners are unable to change the sizing or layout of their outdoor area. Rest assured, this doesn’t have to stop you from achieving a winning outdoor living space design. Even the tiniest backyard can feel airy and expansive with the careful integration of the right outdoor accouterments.

Pint-Sized Patio? Make the Most of Your Outdoor Space with These Tips:
        Stay on the Lighter Side of Things
Light, brightly colored patio color palettes help small outdoor spaces feel airy and bright, and larger than they actually are.
        Protect Yourself, Yet Maintain an Unobstructed, Airy Feel
Ensure the reliable rain and sun protection you need, while still maintaining an open, airy feel with the addition of an adjustable aluminum pergola. Open up to expansive views in the beautiful Denver weather with a full 170-degrees of rotation, dialing your way to comfort on-demand via remote control, pre-program settings with our newest, iLouver smartphone app, or integrate wind and rain sensors for the ultimate in weather-responsive convenience.
        Go BIG or Small
Though small furniture selections, such as an elegant 2-chair bistro set, can help you retain a feeling of space, another trick to achieving the feel of a larger space is to go large with furnishings. Though this may seem contrary, squeezing the largest outdoor sofa or sectional possible into your tiny terrace can help you effectively make the most of space when paired with inviting accouterments. 


 
        Opt for Ottomans
Add cushy ottomans, in lieu of more traditional outdoor furnishings, to keep space open and allow for more easily moveable, flexible seating arrangements.

        Let it All Hang Out
Egg-shaped hanging chairs, also available on stands, are a great way to make an attention-getting statement, yet keep patio or porch square footage clear, offering an irresistibly cozy-looking place to curl up with a book.



 
        Bring Narrow Concrete Spaces to Life with a Living Wall
Small, skinny spaces like rooftop terraces and side patios can greatly benefit from the greenery of vines or wall-mounted planters. Placing them atop each other can add a bright, green, earthy feel to even the dullest outdoor space. Pair with a hammock or smaller swinging chair for a dreamy, garden-like destination, or divide into sub-spaces with screens or medium-sized plants to give the feel of a wider, less hallway-like space.


  

Achieve your dream outdoor living design no matter your limitations. Learn how with the help of Denver Pergola Systems today. 


Monday, May 7, 2018

Outdoor Office Space Offers a Wide World of Benefits



Many business owners mistakenly believe improving the landscape of their property only adds aesthetic value. However, the addition of flexible outdoor office, meeting, and dining space offers huge payoffs in both value and utility, far beyond resale and functionality…

Outdoor Office Space Offers a Wide World of Benefits that Often Go Overlooked
        Fresh Air Boosts Productivity
A beautiful outdoor space improves employee contentment and productivity. Spending as little as 20 minutes outside daily can reduce stress, boosts memory, encouraging social interaction and a ‘team’ mindset.
        Time Outdoors Supports Health & Well Being
It will come as no surprise to most office workers, research has shown being stuck indoors for the entirety of the day has negative mental and physical health effects. Indoor air is known to be toxic – up to 10-times more so than the air outdoors. Could a small investment in an outdoor space help mitigate your company’s ever-rising health insurance costs?
        A Beautiful Outdoor Space Increases Visual Interest and Foot Traffic
The visual interest and beauty of well-accomplished outdoor spaces attract the attention of both clientele and potential employees, showcasing your company’s employee-centric culture.

Regardless of Your Property Type, There are Many Ways to Add an Outdoor Space
Adding life to once devoid space doesn’t require acres of greenery. Outdoor workspace additions can be added just about anywhere…
        Rooftop or Balcony
Office located in an urban setting with limited space? You’re not out of luck! Converting your balcony into an outdoor workspace, or transforming your rooftop to a greenspace are an ideal way to maximize square footage. Bonus: Exterior greenery is known for its heating and cooling advantages.
        Patio or Deckside
Patio or deck additions on pre-existing concrete or green space are an easy way to add outdoor office space to commercial real estate, doing double-duty as a place to recharge during a snack or meal.
        Side Yard
Properties with side yards may seem strangely situated, but such out-of-the-wayside spaces offer an ideal locale for the creation of a private, distraction-free outdoor office setting. 
        Courtyard
Large, open courtyards offer prime real estate for encompassing outdoor spaces perfect for hosting meetings, or providing a respite for those tired of toiling hours away in crowded cubicles.

More than a Fold Out Table & Chair Set
For employees to gain the full benefits of an outdoor workspace, comfort and function are key. When devising your outdoor office space addition, don’t overlook the importance of…
        Location
A gray, drab, concrete outdoor office space won’t offer much solace or inspiration. For a true outdoor oasis you need greenery.
        Amenities
In today’s mobile environment, electrical and Wi-Fi access are not a nicety, but a necessity, as is adequate lighting.
        Ergonomic Furnishings
Comfortable, ergonomic tables and chairs reduce muscle strain.
        Shelter
Rain on a picnic is one thing, rain on expensive office laptops or paper notes another. Keep employees cool, comfortable, and protected with the Arcadia aluminum pergola. Its unique, louvered roof construction offers the unique capacity to provide full access to the sun, or with a quick adjustment, shade and leak-free rain protection. Add wind and rain sensing technology for automatic response, designing your pergola system for seamless integration into any architectural design.
        Creature Comforts
Adding fans can help your outdoor office space feel as much as 30-degrees cooler in summer weather, and inexpensive infrared patio heaters offer an efficient means of warmth on chilly days. The addition of motorized screens to your pergola can also reduce eye strain from glare, as well as keep pests at bay.
        Convenience
Adding simple items like a wastebasket, coffee maker or mini-fridge can reduce time-wasting trips back into the office.

Interested in adding an outdoor office space to your home or commercial property? Check out the convenient ‘how-to’ guide on our blog, or contact Denver Pergolas to schedule a design consultation today.


This post was originally published at http://www.denverpergolas.com/outdoor-office-space-offers-a-wide-world-of-benefits/