Patio Power: Strategies for Optimizing Outdoor Dining

Imagine turning your restaurant's patio into a profit powerhouse this summer, even amidst rising costs and inflationary concerns. Discover how handheld POS devices and QR code ordering are transforming outdoor spaces into efficient revenue engines. To learn more about how restaurant operators can best set themselves up for the upcoming summer season, Modern Restaurant Management IMRM) magazine reached out Kevin Bryla, Chief Marketing Officer, SpotOn. 

What details should operators pay attention to when setting up a patio for dining?

A good patio setup isn’t just about adding seats, it’s about creating an extension of the guest experience that works just as hard as your dining room. That means thinking through layout and service flow to support great service, making sure there’s shade or cover when the weather turns, and setting the tone with lighting and music.

Put simply, if it matters inside, it matters outside too.

Operational control tools are also important, including reservation systems and waitlist management keep things moving smoothly when the patio fills up. Put simply, if it matters inside, it matters outside too.

How can operators optimize their outdoor dining for efficiency?

Outdoor dining can either slow things down or speed things up—it all comes down to how you run service. With handhelds, your team is able to spend more time serving guests, instead of going back-and-forth between tables and the POS station. Orders get sent directly to the kitchen in real time, payments happen at the table, and servers can cover more ground without missing a beat. The result? Fewer mistakes, faster ticket times, and higher check averages. That’s more revenue with less labor, and for restaurants operating on slim margins that’s essential. 

And for more casual outdoor setups – think outdoor bars, beer gardens, or counter-service patios – QR code ordering is a no-brainer. Let guests order that second round when they’re ready. Add QR scan-and-pay, and guests can settle up on their own terms, a fan-favorite for families juggling kids or anyone who doesn’t want to flag their server down. It’s the kind of flexibility and convenience today’s guests expect, and it lightens the load for your staff, too.

What are guests’ expectations for outdoor dining, particularly as it relates to technology?

Guests don’t lower their expectations just because they’re sitting outside. They still want fast, friendly, accurate service and they expect tech to support that, not get in the way.

Guests don’t lower their expectations just because they’re sitting outside.

Tableside ordering and payments, mobile wallets, and even real-time waitlist updates are all part of the equation. The bar is high, and tech helps you meet it without putting more pressure on your team.

In what ways can technology be used to elevate the outdoor experience?

Tech should make the guest experience feel smoother, not more complicated. With handhelds, servers take the order and fire it to the kitchen on the spot. They close the check at the table, apply loyalty rewards, and split payments however the guest wants, all without leaving the patio. That means more face time with the guest, better service, and a more professional operation overall. It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes magic that keeps guests coming back.

How quickly can an operator ramp up a hand-held program and what kind of investment in dollars and training time does it involve?

These devices are designed to be intuitive, built for restaurant workflows, and easy to learn so your team can be fully up to speed in a few shifts. The biggest challenge and cost is oftentimes working with your network provider or IT team to make sure your wireless network amply covers outdoor dining areas.

The handhelds themselves give you a rapid return on investment. Operators using them are seeing 15-percent higher sales, 20-percent faster service, and 30-percent fewer mistakes. That’s real value without needing to hire more staff, and in fact we often see operators are able to run leaner shifts with handhelds. It’s not just a tech upgrade for a season, it’s a long-term revenue strategy to easily handle higher volumes when you need to – game days, holidays and of course patio season.