If you were lucky enough to have gotten a permit for an outdoor sidewalk cafe for your restaurant, then you need to get a few things in order. You should not simply put out some tables and chairs and expect to reel in the dough. You have to make the place look appealing, create a visual separation from the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk, as well as make it easy for your servers to place orders. Here are three things you will need to do.

Potted Plants

You want the outdoor cafe space to look attractive. If you are located in a busy downtown area, with lots of office buildings, then it would be a great idea to get portable planters. You can put in flowers, or a small shrub. These can be used to bookend the cafe space, which not only provides greenery, but it helps to define the boundaries. It's important that you choose a portable planter that is easy to move because you most likely will not be allowed to leave permanent items on the sidewalk. In some instances, the zoning board might require that any planters, heat lamps, or lights be easily moved back inside should the need arise. So, choose lightweight planters (you can get plastic planters that look like a heavy terracotta) that can be carried indoors should a city inspector decide they need to be removed.

Ropes, Railings and Lightweight Fencing

You don't want to just place tables on the sidewalk and start serving customers. It will be awkward with people passing right next to them. You will also have to deal with pedestrians sitting down and relaxing at the table, not respecting that it is a private restaurant. This will have your waiters acting like bouncers, constantly on guard for passerbys who are "resting" and not patronizing the restaurant.

You will most likely not be allowed to install permanent railings, so you will need to choose portable railings and fences, or rope and stanchion setups. These are a perfect way to create the visual distinction between your cafe and the rest of the street.

Mobile Point Of Sale System

You want a point of sale system set up outside so that your servers don't have to hurry back and forth into the restaurant. In fact, it can also reduce the amount of servers necessary for maintaining order. You could have one or two waiters monitor the tables, and then input the food orders on the outdoor computer system and have the orders sent in to the kitchen. When the food is ready, the runners could bring the food out. This will allow the waiters to focus on taking orders or getting drinks from the inside bartender. This will limit the amount of time they need to be inside the restaurant and will allow them to watch over the outdoor tables more efficiently.

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