29.06.2022
Being in the restaurant industry has been difficult, especially in the last two years. The uncertainty in the market has hurt quite a few restaurant chains. A simple solution to that has been enclosing your patio and making the most out of the available space by increasing your seating capacity without investing in a bigger space.
Deciding that you need a patio enclosure has been an easy decision for many restaurateurs, but the question that follows is usually a difficult one. It is the bewildering range of materials, sizes, and shapes for your new structure that makes deciding on a specific type of enclosure difficult.
Lumon Canada has specialized in the designing and construction of restaurant patio enclosures for over 10 years. Many of our clients have recorded usual profits even during the unusual Covid-19 restrictions. While we tackle each project individually, we think it’s useful to provide a general guide that clients and prospective customers can read through as they try to figure out the best solution. With this in mind, we decided to compile this guide on why Lumon's retractable glass enclosures are the best commercial patio enclosures. In this guide, we will look at the two most common types of patio enclosures used by restaurants.
Vinyl Enclosures
Vinyl enclosures might sound like a great solution in the beginning. They are cheaper than glass enclosures, they are also usually mechanical making them easy to operate. However, the real picture is brought to your attention 1-2 years after the Vinyl enclosure has been installed. Thus it is important to have an in-depth look before making an investment in your restaurant patio.
With changing weather and the weather elements becoming stronger day by day, serious deterioration has been seen for Vinyl products. Even high-quality vinyl covers are prone to high wear and tear with extensive use, especially in open-air plazas. This usually results in higher maintenance costs and frequency. This cost offsets the difference between price of glass enclosures and vinyl covers pretty quickly!
Along with higher maintenance costs, the following cons can also be seen associated with Vinyl enclosures.
- Vinyl can get scratched – thus buffing might be necessary at times.
- Vinyl can get hazy. Poor quality vinyl can become hazy and optically tarnished.
- Vinyl needs to be inspected often. Vinyl, like any kind of specialty fabric, should be looked at often for any tears or other damage.
Thus Vinyl might solve problems temporarily, but when factors like durability, return on investment and aesthetics are considered, it seems far from the perfect solution.
Lumon Retractable Glass Enclosures
Our frameless retractable balcony glass opens fully and folds tidily against an interior wall. Maximum functionality is achieved as they fold to the inside or slide to the side.
Our product is designed, engineered and tested in Finland to stand up to strong winds and harsh conditions while still looking sleek and elegant. Our glazing systems are proven to be just as successful when facing Canadian climate conditions! This acts as a huge advantage for the durability of our products. Because of meticulous research and engineering, our products have a life span of at least 30 years. This results in drastically lower maintenance costs as compared to Vinyl patio covers.
The following benefits are also seen with the installation of Lumon retractable glass.
- Increase in the seating capacity of the restaurant by year-round use for patio dining
- This system is easy to maintain with a simple cleaning process which works in favor of the restaurant staff
- Lumon is a partner to help you generate more sales by using your patio space to become a more sustainable business
Already have the Vinyl patio cover installed? It's never too late to make things right! See what Naheed Shariff, president of Browns and YEG group has to say about shifting from Vinyl patio enclosure to Lumon glass enclosures.
