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Making the most of outdoor entertaining

Barbecues are considered throughout the world as one of the original pieces of "Chef Theatre"

Improving outdoor areas and offering alfresco menus can present huge profit potential and also brings opportunities for added value sales such as salad buffets, dessert buffets, wine promotions or speciality coffees with liqueurs - all areas with a traditionally high financial return.

Follow the hints and tips below to make the very most of your outdoor entertaining.

Plan your alfresco offering carefully

Do you plan to offer an alfresco dining at weekends, ad hoc servings when the weather permits, or simply one-off events such as weddings, christenings and other parties? The impact on your business will vary depending on the scale of your offering.

Make sure you use the correct equipment for your needs

Deciding on the best barbecue for your needs will depend on the amount of space you have available, the number of people you are catering for and how often you plan to offer outdoor events. If you are at all unsure, Calor can advise you.

Think carefully about your menu

Offering an alternative menu will give your customers more choice but to make alfresco menus successful consider the limitations of cooking outdoors i.e. the amount of cooking space on your BBQ, facilities for offering accompaniments such as dips and sauces and ensuring food is cooked properly before serving.

Think about how the alfresco dining experience will work

For example, you may ask everyone attending an event to pay a set charge on an ‘eat all you want’ basis or you may prefer to offer a waitress service where people pay individually. Alternatively consider asking customers to pay at the bar and giving them a receipt to hand to the BBQ chef in return for their food. In this case it’s vital that the bar staff know what food is available and how busy the chef is. You don’t want to upset customers by taking orders that cannot be fulfilled.

Ensure your staffing levels are adequate to cope with the increased trade

Do you need to take on more staff to work in your outdoor dining area? You are looking to increase trade and encourage repeat custom by offering a new service, so don’t let yourself down by not delivering on customer service - they wont come back.

Plan your entire outdoor area carefully

Think about how you can extend customers’ visits long after they have finished their meal. Installing patio heaters, either traditional mobile heaters or more permanent fixed tube and radiant heaters, can help keep customers longer and increase their spend. Outdoor heaters can also extend the seasons - allowing you to start your alfresco dining menu earlier in the year and later into autumn.