Awnings for cafes are one of the most distinctive sights in the street. They can be found in tearooms in village and coffee shops in town. They do more than just keep customers dry, however. They promote the business brand, extend the functionality of the space, and serve as an attractive feature that pulls passers-by into the establishment.
Why Café Awnings Make Business Sense
Here’s a fact: British weather is nothing if not unpredictable, one-minute glorious sunshine, the next a downpour that sends everyone scurrying for cover. You can never perfectly predict the weather, but investing in a good awning at least gives you the potential to maximise the use of outdoor space offered by your café, regardless of the weather outside.
You are protected against unfavourable weather, but you also save a great deal of money on building expenses. This often means even more tables, more customers, and ultimately more revenue. Many café owners have come forward saying that during the peak season, a well-designed awning can pay for itself in just a few months.
Before customers even step inside, the colour style and signage of the awning makes a statement about the café. For business owners, café awning is also a great advertising opportunity as it is high up and visible from afar.
Your Café and Its Awnings
Awnings for cafes should be in sync with its personality. A contemporary coffee bar in Shoreditch might benefit from a sleek, ultra-minimal design, while a traditional tearoom in the Cotswolds might be better suited to a scalloped edge with vintage stripes.
Older Victorian-style awnings, with their signature curved form, are slapped all over the place and for good reason; they add a classic flair to any shopfront that particularly benefits from period buildings. In contrast, modern straight-drop awnings have no place in that category. Their clean lines and ultra-efficient use of space make them ideal for urban environments.
Café owners are also opting for side panels as well. They are able to shield customers better from wind and rain, while at the same time creating a cosier outdoor dining experience. Some even go as far as adding clear plastic windows to the side in order to block breezes while still retaining the view.
A Café’s Choice of Fabric
A café or coffee house’s chosen fabric for their awning should be tough enough to endure the British weather. Quality acrylic canvas is notorious for its top of the shelf water resistance, fade-proof nature under sunlight, and vibrant branding colours. Their UV protection rating is another point, and one that should be strongly considered, if you want to keep your customers comfortable on sunny days.
If you’re located in a particularly moist area, then cafes may want to consider vinyl as an option. For those needing something more waterproof, vinyl will do as it is easily cleanable too; however, on hotter days, it provides less breathability when compared to canvas.
Regardless of whichever option you go with, it is imperative that it is fire retardant and follows commercial standards. This applies to all catering establishments and will almost definitely be looked for during safety audits.
Operations and Usability
Is it manual or electric? This is something that every café owner must take into account. For cafes with lesser space, manual awnings are undoubtedly more available in comparison to electric variations and do work just fine. Their best part? They are run using a hand crank so the Caffe staff can operate it easily.
Electric awnings are more expensive and less attractive, but they do have their own advantages. With just a click of a button, these awnings can easily be extended or retracted. Some of them even have weather sensors that retracts the awning during heavy winds, which is useful in preventing damage and increasing the lifetime of the Cafe.
Don’t forget to think about daily operations as well. For those working staff will need to extend and retract the awning several times daily, investing in a electric system will save them a lot of time. In case your awning mostly stays extended during the service hours, you need no advanced awning and a manual one will do the trick.
Planning and Permissions
It is always best to find out if there are any restrictions in your area before ordering your café awning. For instance, a listed building or a conservation area often time has restrictions towards any installations. Also, even in areas where there is little to no restriction, there is most likely going to be a rule about how far the awning can go over the pavement.
Local councils often have restrictions with commercial awnings, such as the permissible height or even the colours allowed in particular regions. Therefore, your local planning department should always be consulted before buying anything.
Maintaining Your Café Awning
If a café awning is properly maintained, it can last for many years. Regular cleaning is integral as most fabric can be brushed and cleaned with soap and water. In addition, it is highly advised to avoid pressure washers due to the possibility of damaging the material and stitching.
The mechanism should be checked regularly as well. Moving parts can be lubricated at times. Also, be on the lookout for strain or wear on the frame. In the winter months or very bad weather conditions, the awning should be fully retracted to avoid damage.
The Finishing Touch
The awning above your café is a functional feature which elevates the customer experience. It is the warm ambiance, the canvas rolling in the wind and the illuminated light through the windows, as well as the comfortable sensation of being protected while observing everything around which makes from the atmosphere that people enjoy.
With correct design, material, and awning placement, your café will be able to stand out even in the highest populated areas, in addition to boosting sales and ensuring the best quality.