If you have a rooftop bar in your restaurant, the top five tips to make it successful are simple. But they always seem to miss #5. Read on…
- Plan for the Weather
This seems obvious. It doesn’t take long for sunny skies to unexpectedly take a turn for the worse. While you can’t be sure how the day’s forecast will turn out (not even meteorologists are sure) there are things you can do to prepare. Investing in reliable umbrellas or an awning is a must for rainy days, but they will do double-duty by providing blessed shade on hot sunny days. Heaters that can be turned on at a moment’s notice will help with sudden drops of temperature.
- Create an Insta-worthy Setting
You don’t have to like social media to appreciate its worth. If you are lucky enough to have a stellar skyline or sunset view, be sure to capitalize on that area. Creating a section of the roof as a “photo-op” area where guests can take pictures and post to their social media – hopefully tagging your restaurant – is a nice touch and encourages something they are probably already doing.
- Consider How Guests Will Get up to the Roof
Has any restaurant with a rooftop bar NOT thought of this? You probably have, but there’s more to it than just getting there. If you don’t have an elevator, make sure your guests know ahead of time. Tasteful, easy-to-read signage to the elevator as well as to the stairs is integral. You don’t want customers wandering around clueless – or worse, giving up and leaving. Also, be sure to advertise your rooftop bar. On social, on your website, with signage in your establishment. Don’t let it go to waste.
- Decorate & Design
A restaurant’s rooftop is really a blank canvas. You can get super creative, elegantly minimalistic, or go with a theme. Any way you decide, embrace it. Go full-on with your design. And details matter – it’s not just about lighting and seating. This is a good time to bring in a designer and let them do what they do best.
- Get Pests Under Control
Why is this left off of every list of tips for a successful rooftop bar? Besides the food-borne pests that come with having a restaurant and whatever pests come in to live in the beautiful, lush greenery you may add, buzzing, hovering, and biting mosquitoes can ruin the experience. When someone asks how your rooftop bar was, you don’t want the answer to be, “Well I got eaten alive, so I guess the mosquitoes loved it.” There are pest control companies that can help. Western Pest Services, for example, performs mosquito treatments – no matter what types of mosquitoes there are – for rooftop bars, parks, picnic areas, and common area walkways. Just like bringing in a designer to design, bringing in a competent pest control company is the way to go here. Western Pest is tried and true. This is not the time for a one-dude operation.
Even if you follow tips 1-4, whatever the vibe is in your rooftop bar, bugs can ruin it. Even without social media word gets around, but with it? It could put a damper on your daiquiri. A morose on your martini. A gloom on your gimlet. Take care of it and take care of your customers. Contact Western Pest for an optimal rooftop bar experience today.