what you need to know about dining structures · 2017-09-06 · 5 reasons not having a dining...

What you need to know about Dining StructuresA FREE Consumer Awareness Guide to help you make a better-informed decision when choosing a Dining Structure provider.

Dining Structures Consumer Awareness Guide – A Free Educational Resource by Alfresco Shade www.alfrescoshade.com.au 74 Wellington Street, Riverstone, NSW 2765 [email protected] 1300 798 700

2Dining Structures Consumer Awareness Guide


What you need to know about Dining Structures A FREE Consumer Awareness Guide to help you make a better-informed decision when choosing a Dining Structure provider.

Read This Free Report to Discover…

6 ways a quality Dining Structure can help you make big money 4

5 reasons not having a Dining Structure may be costing you a fortune 5

6 expensive Dining Structure mistakes to avoid 7

Dining Structure rip-offs to watch out for 8

6 Dangers of choosing the wrong service provider 9

Important differences between a quality purpose built Dining Structure and a “cheaper” alternative 10

How to choose a reputable operator to do the job properly 11

What others have to say 12

For restaurant and café owners who want to boost profits… without adding stress or spending a fortune



Dear Business Owner,

Choosing a dining structure provider isn’t easy. Why? Because you’re bombarded with confusing jargon, inconsistent design information, inexperienced operators and misleading pricing methods. How do you ever find a competent reliable provider to help with your property?

You start by reading this consumer guide. You’ll discover ways a quality dining structure can help you make big money, reasons not having a dining structure may be costing you a fortune, and expensive dining structure mistakes to avoid.

We wrote this guide to help you better understand how to choose a dining structure provider. Now with this information, you can make an informed and intelligent decision. If you have any questions about dining structures you’re invited to call us on 1300 789 700. We’ve dedicated our business to educating consumers and raising standards in the industry. We’ll be happy to help in any way.

Thanks! Tom Westcott, Alfresco Shade.

Ok, let’s get started...

Dining Structures Consumer Awareness Guide 4


6 ways a quality Dining Structure can help you make big money Customers tell us it’s a return on investment “no brainer”.

1. A customised Dining Structure can increase the number of tables you have working for you. The more tables you have, the more opportunities for customers to enjoy your unique hospitality. Think about it. What do you currently earn per table on an average day?

What would happen if you could extend your capacity by 25 – 50% overnight (as we often do) with no added mortgage or leasing costs. What would that do to your business? You work hard to look after your customers, why not do something to help yourself with this business tool.

2. Stop losing business to bad weather and improve the consistency of “bums on seats” with an outdoor space that can be used 365 days per year. A quality dining structure keeps your customer’s comfortable no matter what is happening outside – even if it’s pelting down with rain, blowing a gale, or scorching hot. Now you can control the dining environment with overhead cover and a range of outdoor blinds and accessories.

3. It pays to look good! A quality Dining Structure has beautiful clean lines and improves the street appeal of your restaurant, providing an enticing environment to lure customers in and keep them coming back.

Your potential customers have loads of choice out there and may be making their decision based on a snap judgment as they stroll down the street. Do yourself a favour and make the best possible first impression!

4. A crowd attracts a crowd. Nothing attracts customers like a crowd having a great time dining outside your place. People want to be where the action is happening. No one wants to be the first one into an empty restaurant! Think about all the times you have walked past a restaurant looking for a place with “more atmosphere”.

5. Get more use from your property payments and fixed overheads. We don’t need to tell you how expensive property costs are in Sydney! One of the big hidden benefits a Dining Structure is helping you pump out more work through the same existing infrastructure. You can extend your outdoor dining capacity without necessarily adding more kitchen equipment or wait staff. You are simply getting more productivity out of what you’re already paying for.

6. A comfortable place to linger and connect. You will probably be surprised to learn that a Dining Structure roof is built from sophisticated PVC fabric pulled tight and tensioned on site. People often assume it’s plastic or a solid roof. It’s far smarter than that. Fabric is a unique building material, its light, flexible, totally waterproof, and reflects the sun’s heat away, allowing only diffused light through.

This creates a special ambiance and atmosphere, cool in summer and pleasant in winter. You will notice that customers tend to linger in this environment to enjoy the tranquil surroundings. As you know, comfortable customers are more likely to stay a little longer and grab another drink or more to eat.



5 reasons not having a Dining Structure may be costing you a fortune “Be the busiest place on your street”.

1. Aussies love to eat outside. We have the greatest country in the world for outdoor dining. Lots of customers prefer to eat outdoors, particularly in the scorching summer months. Don’t miss out by failing to have great facilities for these customers! If you don’t look after this market your competitors will be glad to.

2. Comfortable customers are more inclined to linger and maybe order another drink and enjoy themselves. If it’s too hot or cold your customers won’t stick around! You know how stressful and frustrating it is to see customers walk in and then quickly leave, scared off by the bad weather.

3. We have such unpredictable weather in Sydney. In one day you can experience a hail storm, torrential downpour, and then blazing sun. It really pays to have overhead protection and a system to manage the weather. How many days would you estimate that it’s either too hot, too wet or too windy to eat outside without overhead protection? The answer is probably a lot higher than you think.

Did you know that dining outside in Sydney without protective cover is not considered comfortable for over 200 days of the year?

Based on figures from the Bureau of Meteorology – the number of days in Sydney where the temperature exceeds 20 degrees and wind speed exceeds 15 km per hour.



4. You already have access to the space, why not put it to good use? A courtyard area or available street frontage is no use if you don’t put it to work. Depending on your local council rules, you may to surprised what you can build on your street frontage.

5. Street dining is a growing trend and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Just look at the thriving ‘eat street’ style dining popping up all over the city (Liverpool’s transformation is a great example). Many of the thriving new dining precincts are moving away from fine dining to cater for the growing demand for more casual street food.

Safety Alert!

You don’t often think about the risk of sunburn when you sit down to dine. But sunburn can happen in less than 15 minutes at the peak of summer. Did you know that Australia has the highest incidence of Melanoma in the world? - www.sunsmart.com.au

• One person every six hours will die from melanoma in Australia.

• Melanoma rates doubled in the 20 years from 1986–2006 and are still on the rise.

• In Australia, 1 in 14 men and 1 in 24 women will be diagnosed with melanoma sometime in their life. - www.melanoma.org.au/understanding-melanoma/melanoma-facts-and-statistics

The good news – skin cancer is preventable. Overhead shade cover can help reduce the chance of Melanoma incidence for your customers and staff.



6 expensive Dining Structure mistakes to avoid1. Not covering every available inch! Make sure you get a custom built structure to make the most

of your available space. As a general guide, you can fit a diner in every 1.5 square metres. Every metre counts! You could be leaving big money behind if you miss out on the opportunities that extra covered tables would have produced.

Don’t get caught out by using a company limited to set module sizes, or using a shoddy design which fails to make the most of your outdoor area (for example centre mast not cantilever design).

2. Failing to install gutters. While it’s natural to try to avoid the cost of gutters, you will regret the decision when the first shower hits. Rainwater screaming down the fabric roof and spraying diners below is not a good look! Gutters let you capture rainwater and stop the annoying ongoing raindrops following a shower. Gutters also keep your clear blinds looking smart by stopping water from flowing off the roof and over the blinds. Without gutters, your blinds will become dirty quickly and build up unsightly green slime over time.

3. Failing to install blinds and other useful accessories. Quality clear blinds are a great investment for blocking the wind and rain. Nobody likes dining with wine glasses blowing over and tablecloths flapping in wind. Blinds can give you a totally weather proof your space and help provide cooling and heating options.

4. Clunky ugly design. You work hard to create a great environment for your customers, don’t ruin it with a chunky agricultural looking Dining Structure that looks out of place. You want a structure with smart design, clean minimalist lines, and stylish features. Choosing a provider with lots of design options helps. Options like cantilever, patio, centre mast, and pavilion layouts to help your business thrive.

5. Too flimsy - Not built street tough. By now you probably noticed your customers are capable of capable of almost anything after a few drinks! Your structure needs to be built heavy duty to handle the reality of commercial life and everything the public will throw at it, including your nephew swinging on a support arm to get a laugh from his friends.

6. Using unproven materials. Durability is a critical issue for long term success. Don’t choose materials unless they have proven record of working successfully in our harsh Australian weather for at least 10 years. Many fabrics struggle to cope with extreme Australian weather. While most material will look great for a few years, the quality differences come out from year 5 onward. Substandard fabrics will start to fade and wear out leaving you with an expensive repair bill and lots of headaches sorting it all out.

Remember!

The cheapest option often turns out the be the most expensive in the long run when replacement costs and the shorter working life are taken into account, not to mention all the stress involved. You can never get a days lost trading back again!



Watch out for these Dining Structure rip-offs…1. Deceptive pricing. Underquoting then adding mysterious “unforeseen” additional charges, because

the “technical problems” were underestimated. Variations and surprise changes are expensive and stressful for you to deal with. This is usually caused by inexperience and lack of real skill with anticipating the likely installation challenges.

2. Deceptive warranties. Offering a 10-year warranty, but the small print reveals this only relates to the cost of fabric replacement – and not the labour, transport, fittings, and fabrication costs. Fabric replacement is usually only about 20% of the total job value. You want a clear robust warranty with no nasty surprises.

3. Dodgy steelwork. Dining Structures can be exposed to high wind loading which places real stress on the steel structure. Steelwork needs to be designed and engineered carefully to deal with this and be signed off by an engineer so you can be sure it’s safe. Under-engineered or poorly built steelwork can fail under pressure. You don’t want to expose your staff or customers to that sort of risk!

4. Shallow weak foundations. Strong solid foundations are critical for a safe structure. It’s very important to dig to the right depth and use the correct amount of concrete and reinforcing steel to guarantee a solid and stable structure. Digging foundations can be tough dirty work. When the going gets tough (like hitting rock or shale) unscrupulous operators can cut corners and dig to only 2/3 of the required depth, and then skimp on concrete to save costs. A professional keeps going and does what it takes to excavate the foundation properly and achieve a strong foundation.

5. Cheap roof fabrics. Using cheap roof fabrics which have been proven not to work long term in Australian conditions. This can be used to win a quote, but then your “cheap” option turns out the be the most expensive when the fabric wears out after a few years. Cheap fabrics look great at first but are more likely to “yellow” and wear out after exposure to harsh Australian weather.

6. Poor workmanship. Poorly installed structures that leak around the corners areas, and roof fabric which has worked loose and begun to pool water. It takes a lot of skill to build and install a dining structure properly. There is one way to do it right and hundreds of ways to get it wrong. Don’t be caught out using a company that promises an excellent result but then makes excuses when “things didn’t go according to plan”. You want a long-term asset to be proud of, not an ongoing headache and source of frustration.



6 Dangers of choosing the wrong service provider1. Poorly installed foundations can pull out when the structure is exposed to high wind load

(particularly upward wind lift). We are often called out to fix foundation problems for people let down by dodgy operators. What causes the foundations to fail? Usually, a combination of things, like lack of steel reinforcing bar, skimping on concrete or using under specified steel fixings. You don’t want to mess this up!

2. Steelwork can fail, causing the whole structure to collapse from being poorly built or badly designed. Unfortunately, this does happen from time to time from by inexperienced operators who fail to get the load fundamentals right. You do not want damage or injury happening to anyone on your property. Steelwork must be carefully designed by an engineer and welded by fabricators who know what they are doing.

3. Rough installers can easily damage your property or cause business interference with excessive time on site. Inexperienced installers can easily crack existing pavers or damage your existing wall or roof structures by anchoring in the wrong place. A great installation job involves a lot of care thought and skill. If any of these are missing your job starts to suffer.

4. Poorly built or installed roof fabrics can start to leak around the corner detailing and pool water or sag. Not a good look! This is a major irritation to customers who want a lovely meal, not an annoying slow drip overhead! Low-quality fabric can also fade (or “yellow”) quickly. Small mistakes with the little build details can make a big difference for you later on.

5. Not actually fitting or suiting your property. You really need a custom-built system to suit your property and match the look and feel of your business. Some installers claim to provide custom built solutions but are constantly reproducing one design and building to module sizes vs to the available space. Not good if you miss out on using 20% of your available space due to their size limitations.

6. Problems with the dining structure after a year or two and the company are nowhere to be found. You want a business to stand by their product and be there assist if something comes up that you need help with.



Important differences between a quality purpose built Dining Structure and a “cheaper” alternative“A relaxing cocoon of shade and comfort all year round”.

1. A quality system is built street tough to handle everything the public will throw at it. Carefully designed with a strong mast system and tough supporting arms. Anything less just won’t last over time.

2. A quality Dining Structure brings a unique combination of elegance, beauty and minimalist design to your outdoor area. You will enjoy interacting with the space and own a great long term asset.

3. A safe and comfortable space for your customers and staff. A quality waterproof PVC fabric will block 100% of harmful UV light and reflect away the heat, letting only safe filtered light through.

4. Excellent durability. Quality structures use premium quality European fabric PVC, proven to work for 10 plus years in Australian conditions. This fabric is 100% waterproof and will not delaminate or discolour.

5. Skilled fabrication craftsmanship. Carefully built with silky smooth welds and steelwork strong enough to last for years and years. Beauty lies in the small details. You will notice the difference.

6. Super tight fabric skin and gorgeous 3D curves. It takes skill to accurately cut and radio frequency radio weld the fabric pieces into the correct shape. Notice all the curves in the fabric skin? These must be designed and cut by computer to make sure no flat spots come through when the skin is tensioned.

7. A quality structure is custom built to make the best use of your available space and get more use from your property. Clever use of a range of different design options can make room for extra tables keep the money rolling in.

8. Smart heavy duty gutter systems which have been carefully built into the design and not bolted on as an afterthought. The only thing worse than no gutter is a cheap looking generic plastic gutter, which can ruin the look of your structure and damage your street appeal.

9. Quality detailing. This takes years of R&D and trial and error to master, and separates the professionals from the pretenders. Anyone can make a structure complicated, but making it strong, compact, and minimalist takes real skill. Clever features like hidden cable tracks (to hide power and speaker cables), sleek but strong steel corner detailing, and strong unobtrusive mounting points make a huge difference to look and feel of the structure.

10. Compatible with a range of quality accessories – everything you need to squeeze the highest value out of your space. It’s not enough to just cover the space. You need commercial grade accessories to weather proof the area all year round. Blinds, heaters, cooling systems, speakers, and lighting are popular options to keep customers comfortable and coming back for more.



How to choose a reputable operator to do the job properly1. At least 10 years’ experience working directly with restaurants and café owners. It takes years to

master design and construction decisions and truly understand what works for hospitality businesses, and how to navigate through the council approval process. You don’t want someone learning the hard way on your job. Almost every project presents challenges that require skilled problem-solving.

2. Deal direct with a local company who owns and controls the entire process – design, fabric, steelwork fabrication, and installation. This gives you a better price (with no middleman taking a margin) and the assurance of direct accountability if anything goes wrong later down the line.

3. Able to provide product back up and servicing. Don’t be left stranded if you need help with servicing in the future.

4. Uses fabrics proven to work in Australian conditions. You don’t want to risk it with cheaper second tier materials. High spec European materials are more expensive, but give a far better finish and much better long term performance.

5. Able to custom build for your situation with real care and craftsmanship. Also able to get your job completed on time, with the scale and resources to hit deadlines even when challenges arise on site, as they often do! Installation overruns can be very expensive for your business with lost profits from installers working onsite in your trading hours.

6. Has invested in specialist manufacturing equipment and factory facilities. Sophisticated tools like computerised fabric plotter cutters, and high power radio frequency welders and high productivity installation equipment. You will notice a big difference in the finished product.

Factory facilities also mean installation time is minimised. Why? Most of the preassembly and preparation work takes place in the factory, not at your property. This can save days of business interference on larger jobs - significant money for a busy business.

7. Comprehensive warranty. Look for an iron clad warranty package over the entire system, not just the fabric skin. Many warranty packages are misleading and only cover fabric replacement costs and not labour and repairs. Don’t be caught out with nasty surprises.

8. Look for a proven track record on a range of larger scale projects, and testimonies from happy customers.



What others have to say…Before Alfresco we had old storm-damaged umbrellas on our outdoor terrace that provided shade but no weather resistance cover. Our new Dining Structure from Alfresco has provided the perfect solution for providing shade and weather protection.

This has increased our capacity to accommodate guests and helped us reach a record trade in March 2017. Franco, Paul and the team were amazing to deal with. Nothing was ever a problem 10/10!

Toni Collins – Long Reef Golf Club

Franco from Alfresco Shade was professional, proactive and got the job done. His experience and input was refreshing helping us to get the best signage and shade solution. Turn around time was efficient and update calls, emails, and photos helped with a smooth process. Great Work!

Christian – Maggios Café

We hope this educational guide has been useful and has given you the information to make a more informed decision about a Dining Structure for your outdoor area.

Want to learn more about transforming your Restaurant or Café?

Book your FREE no obligation design consultation visit and learn more about how a Dining Structure can help transform your outdoor area. You will receive a FREE no-pressure design consultation with recommendations on fabric selection, design configuration, table layouts and much more…

Call 1300 798 700 or email [email protected]

what you need to know about dining structures · 2017-09-06 · 5 reasons not having a dining...

Documents