If your company plans to offer restaurant tents, you’ll want to find out information regarding foodservice tents. Outdoor restaurant tents come in different sizes and are manufactured from different materials.

Restaurant tents education and training will involve more than just knowing the different available types of restaurant canopies. You will also want to know how restaurant table tents are installed.

1. Get an overview of the tents for restaurants that you can offer. Find out the different sizes, shapes and materials used and which applications each type works best for.

2. Receive training on how to set up different types of restaurant outdoor tents, including pole and pop-up brands.

3. Join a forum in order to learn how to train to market your restaurant canopies. You can also learn how to troubleshoot any installation problems.

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Learn about different outdoor tents for restaurants

You'll need to be knowledgeable about the type of restaurant tent that you offer clients. You should research different restaurant outdoor tent manufacturers to get a better sense about sizes, framing, shapes and costs of the canopies.

I recommend: JAIN Traders offers restaurant and buffet tents. Browse the selection to get a sense of foodservice tent requisites. You can also browse the “About Tents” section for general information about tents. EliteDeals.com has a comprehensive selection of restaurant and party tents in order to help you see a broad range of canopy options.

Train on how to set up a restaurant canopy

Many outdoor restaurant tent suppliers offer installation of their available stock. This can help profits since you can charge for this service. Online article bases and video sites will give you step by step instructions on how to complete installation.

I recommend: Ohenry Productions has a section of their site that allows users to view online videos on how to set up one piece as well as sectional pole tents. For information on how to set up pop-up tents and the benefits of them, you can read the article features on Amazines.

Get information from other foodservice tent suppliers

Frequently asked questions and message boards are a great place to start learning about the industry. Review past posts as well as pose any queries that you may have regarding outdoor tents for restaurants.

I recommend: Ace Canopy has a frequently asked question section that covers some of the basics that you should know about restaurant canopies. ApexCanopy.com has a unique service which allows users to get questions to any of their outdoor tent or canopy questions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you have difficulty finding suppliers of restaurant tents, search through different categories. The same type of product is offered under party tents, outdoor canopies and canopy tents.

If you’ve had past success with individual restaurant table tents on your dining patio, consider covering the entire area with an outdoor restaurant tent. Restaurant tents can increase the curb appeal, table space, cash flow and commercial value of your restaurant. Other venues, including cafeterias, gourmet coffee shops, ice cream parlors, bakeries, juice bars, and nightclubs can also realize benefits from erecting restaurant canopies.

Foodservice tents come in a variety of materials from cloth to retractable plexiglass. Side closures, dehumidifiers, ceiling fans, air coolers and heaters will keep these enclosures serviceable year round.

Use Restaurant tents to capitalize on your locale or create an appealing ambiance. Outdoor tents for restaurants are common when a business borders a natural geographic attraction such as a lake, river, ocean or mountain.

If your setting is not picturesque, with a little creative interior design, your restaurant tent can still attract customers. Shrubs, flowers, vines, small lights or torches and music will create an inviting atmosphere.

When buying restaurant outdoor tents consider the following:

1. Check your zoning laws regarding restaurant outdoor tent use.

2. Compare manufacturers of commercial foodservice tents.

3. Determine what equipment you’ll need to maintain good air quality in your outdoor restaurant tent.

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Buy a canvas or vinyl restaurant tent

Have your enclosure custom made to assure adequate engineering and design. The manufacturer should provide an on-site analysis followed by a visual, usually a computer generated graphic, of the custom designed recommendation. The company should also provide transportation and installation services as well as payment options.

I recommend: Eide Industries Inc. is a custom manufacturer of tents, awnings, canopies, cabanas and other shade structures. This company specializes in commercial projects regardless of size or complexity. It employs state-of-the-art technology, industrial sewn products, custom welded metal support structures and a professional staff focused on customer satisfaction. Modesto Tent and Awning is noted for its high-quality products at affordable prices. The company has been doing business since 1930.

Locate retractable restaurant tents

These are custom made of aluminum and plexiglass. You can retract the walls or roof as desired depending on the weather and temperature.

I recommend: Roll-A-Cover International has decades of experience in the industry and has won awards for its creative designs. The company offers a 10-year warranty on its products. L.I.TRA.USA produces attractive retractable products that have withstood tests from strong winds, hurricanes and earthquakes. Its operating area includes the United States and Canada.

Attend to air quality in your foodservice tent

Purchase commercial heaters, air coolers, ceiling fans and dehumidifiers as necessary to keep your customers comfortable.

I recommend: Global Equipment Company, Inc. and Grainger carry a full line of industrial supplies available online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Most states and local ordinances permit smoking in a retractable restaurant tent when the roof is rolled back.

Restaurant tents are a great way for a restaurant to enhance its business by allowing customers to eat outside. Not only will the customers enjoy the experience, but you've automatically expanded the seating capacity of your dining room. However, the days of a simple little tent covering the patio are gone. Now restaurant tents, coverings and awnings are made of both permanent and semi-permanent materials. Here are some key terms you may run across when dealing with restaurant tents.

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Frame tent

A frame tent refers to a tent that is placed over an assembled framework. That assembled framework is usually made of aluminum or steel. A frame tent is a free-standing tent that is usually tethered to the ground using ropes and stakes for extra support. Some frame tents at restaurants need to adhere to building codes depending on their size.

I recommend: Main Awning and Tent offers a description and price list.

Pole tent

A pole tent refers to a series of poles that are placed below the fabric of the tent. When the fabric is stretched over the poles they are held in place. A pole tent differs from a frame tent in that there is not one cohesive skeleton. Pole tents are often secured with ropes and stakes as well. Another characteristic of a pole tent is that there are one or two large poles in the center, forming the pinnacle of the tent.

I recommend: All Seasons Tent Sales has information about, and pictures of, pole tents.

Brush sweep

Brush sweep refers to a piece of nylon that is found on the edges of high-end restaurant tents. The additional piece of nylon helps keep dust, dirt, rain or other inclement weather from entering the dining area.

I recommend: Restaurant Enclosure has some specifications for brush sweeps.

Retractable awning

A retractable awning is an overhang that comes off one side of the restaurant and covers a patio where patrons are dining. Retractable awnings are popular solutions for restaurants that want to allow patrons to dine in the open air when the weather is favorable, but still want to provide some protection when it is not. Some retractable awnings also have side panels that can be added.

I recommend: American Covering Systems has more information about awnings.

Ratchet buckles

A ratchet buckle is the hardware that secures the strap from the tent to the stake. The slack of the strap can be pulled tighter by pulling the excess strap through the buckle. The slack can be loosened by pressing down on the buckle, thus releasing the buckle's grasp on the strap.

I recommend: Celina Tent has information and a video on how tents are set up with ratchet buckles.

Stake puller

A stake puller is a piece of hardware that is used to loosen the stakes that are holding the tent into the ground. Because some stakes are driven into hard surfaces, the stake pullers use leverage to remove the stakes.

I recommend: Stakepuller Corporation has videos on how its devices work.

To expand the seating capacity of your restaurant, consider adding restaurant tents or restaurant canopies. If you live in a part of the country with mild weather most of the year, this is an excellent way to get more space for your customers. Also, if you do any catering, a restaurant tent is an excellent way to seat your guests in comfort and style.

Restaurant tents types and styles can easily reflect the style of your restaurant. If you have a casual eatery, you can find a simple food service tent or canopy to use to shelter your customers. If you offer more formal dining, there are tents for restaurants with elegant exteriors and interiors.

As you search for restaurant tents for your restaurant, consider the cost. You should also look at the following:

1. The size of restaurant tents available for purchase.

2. The number of months of the year you intend to use the restaurant tents.

3. A tent's ease of setup.

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Choose open sided foodservice tents or restaurant canopies

These are a relatively inexpensive way to add seating to your restaurant during the warmer months of the year. Open sided restaurant tents may or may not come with curtains that you can lower to block wind and rain from your guests.

I recommend: Select open sided foodservice tents from Tent Manufacturers Workplace. Many of its styles also have side curtains so you can close the sides against the elements. You can find a selection of restaurant canopies for sale at Tentnology.com. You can also rent restaurant tents from them. If you wish to brand your restaurant’s name on the outdoor restaurant tent, the company also offers that service.

Find walled restaurant tents

These tents have walls of the same material as the roof. Some models of walled tents have windows built in so your guests can see out. This type of tent costs more, but it does offer your guests more protection from the weather.

I recommend: Shree Beeshath Export offers restaurant outdoor tents with walls and windows. Eureka! Party Tents also sells restaurant outdoor tents.

Add retractable restaurant canopies to your building

If you have the exterior space close to your building, look at retractable restaurant canopies. They provide more permanent restaurant patio wind protection. The restaurant canopy can be canvas or vinyl, or you can find glassed-in restaurant table tents. Obviously this type of restaurant tent is costs more, but you can expect it to last much longer than a conventional tent. It would require professional installation.

I recommend: See the selection of glass enclosures at Roll-A-Cover. L.I.TRA. USA shows several examples of how retractable outdoor tents for restaurants might work for your restaurant.