The Outdoor Dining Pivot
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Top trans-seasonal heating options that will entice patrons year-round
The most significant trend in dining out is dining outdoors! And while a casual, relaxed ambiance and great people watching have long attracted customers to dining and drinking alfresco, the pandemic has them preferring venues with plenty of fresh air more than ever. Which is why creating multi-seasonal spaces is vital.
“The increased appetite for outdoor dining is continuing, and what started as a temporary pivot to survive for many hospitality venues has turned into a permanent offering. And for many cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs it’s a boon, as having both indoor and outdoor dining spaces can help increase their takings and breathe new life into their venue,” says Stephane Thomas, Director of MAD Design, whose brands include EcoSmart Fire, HEATSCOPE® (electric radiant heaters), and Blinde Design (furniture and accessories).
The founder of Houston’s B.B. Lemon restaurant, Benjamin Berg, recently told OpenTable that since he created an outdoor dining space “it’s almost like a garden party every night”, and he encourages others in hospitality to make their outdoor dining space desirable “where people want to be – not just where they’re forced to be because they feel it’s safer”.
However, while courtyards, patios, balconies and terraces offer safer fresh air, they are more challenging to heat. “An outdoor space that is comfortably warm on cool days and evenings and during the colder months can attract more diners all year,” says Thomas. “As Dawn Allcott on real estate marketplace site Loopnet said, restaurant owners who go the extra mile to make their outdoor spaces more inviting can turn the 'proverbial lemons' served up by the pandemic into lemonade.
While the flicker of firelight creates an unmistakable sense of romance and charm, it doesn’t heat outdoor open spaces as efficiently. That’s where radiant heaters come into play. Smart venues are doubling down, pairing the ambient appeal of fire pits, fire tables and fireplaces with discreet, high-performance electric radiant heaters like HEATSCOPE®. This two-pronged approach delivers both mood and measurable comfort, ensuring guests linger longer, stay warmer, and spend more. It’s all about having the right tools in your outdoor heating kit, with each playing a different role to transform alfresco areas into true all-season revenue drivers.
Customers want the comfort of indoors with the charm of alfresco – even a touch of romance. The simplest way to create that vibe is with discreet heating and the natural ambience of a real flame
Stephane Thomas - Director, MAD Design Group
The benefits of ethanol-fuelled fire pits
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Fire pits are incredibly popular and it’s easy to see why: they instantly create a warm and inviting ambiance, give any outdoor space a stylish resort look, and they’re versatile and easy to install.
“Fire pits create a focal point and within seconds of lighting, they transform open-air spaces into inviting, cosy retreats. Their alluring flames draw people in, which is an attractive feature for restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs,” says Thomas.
As a busy restaurant, café or pub owner, you need a fire pit that’s simple to light and quick and easy to maintain. Unlike wood-burning fire pits, which need a constant supply of appropriate wood, give off irritating, polluting smoke and create ash and soot, EcoSmart fire pits produce natural flames within their burners with eco-friendly, clean-burning ethanol fuel, propane or natural gas*. As they don’t emit any smoke or odours, your patrons enjoy a cleaner, fresher environment, and your staff don’t have to spend time cleaning up ash and soot and restocking the wood supply.
The designers of the modern TFKB Skylounge in Turkey, Farmer’s Daughter restaurant in the US, and Australian restaurant Junction Moama all chose EcoSmart fire pits to give these venues a warm and inviting ambiance to entice diners outdoors.
At Junction Moama, the restaurant’s fire pit is surrounded by built-in seating that enables diners to congregate around the fire while they enjoy a drink. “The EcoSmart burners provide the warmth and ambient environment that hospitality projects are always looking to have,” says Victor Cheung from Altis Architecture, the firm behind the restaurant’s redesign.
In addition to creating an inviting ambiance and being easy to maintain, EcoSmart fire pits are easy and affordable to install, as the ethanol- and LP gas-fuelled fires don’t require a vent or chimney. Being vent-free, they are also easier to relocate. It’s only the natural gas-powered models* that require a connection, enabling a built-in outdoor fireplace.
EcoSmart fire pit Kits make it easy to create a custom-made fire pit design that complements the look of your establishment. There’s a variety of stainless-steel burner sizes and shapes to choose from, including square, rectangular and round, which fit into different fire pit bowls crafted from strong yet lightweight eco-friendly Fluid™ Concrete, or you can even choose a sculptural Stix fire pit, a striking fireplace that comprises different-sized stainless-steel tubular ‘sticks’.
You can even create your own tailored fire pit surround from any non-combustible material like stone, cement and tiles. Kromer in Los Angeles gave their outdoor lounge area’s EcoSmart fire pit a metallic shield-like curved back, creating an eye-catching feature.
“As portable fire pits are easy to move, many establishments are using EcoSmart fire pits to direct diners to sections of their patio and courtyards, perhaps the bar at happy hour or the lounge for after dinner drinks, and to light dark corners to make their outdoor space more appealing and spacious,” says Stephane.
The easy appeal of fire tables
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© SAIKAIBASHI CORAZON HOTEL Multi-functional fire tables are an eye-catching and convenient addition to any bar or dining establishment’s patio, courtyard, terrace or garden area, as they showcase the alluring natural flames while providing a handy place to rest drinks and snacks.
EcoSmart fire pit tables also boast Triple Fuel Technology*, meaning their natural flames are fuelled by a choice of clean-burning ethanol, propane or natural gas*. They don’t produce smoke or emissions, nor do they require a chimney or vent, which makes installation affordable and easy. And while EcoSmart’s ethanol and LP gas-fuelled fire pit tables* don’t require costly connection to gas or electricity and are thus easy to relocate, the natural gas fire tables don’t require refuelling and are perfect for built-in fireplaces.
All EcoSmart fire tables feature a stainless-steel burner at their core, boast attractive, clean-line styling and come in a wide choice of shapes, sizes and heights, including coffee table, dining and bar heights, which cater to a variety of outdoor dining space sizes, decors and requirements. They also come in a choice of two strong and weather-resistant materials: Fluid™ Concrete, a lightweight eco-friendly concrete in three hues – natural, graphite and bone – and a beautiful golden, natural oiled teak.
“EcoSmart fire tables create a convenient centrepiece for any lounge or casual dining setting – and versatility is paramount. For example, the bar-height fire table paired with sturdy teak upholstered Blinde Design bar stools creates an inviting and comfortable resort-style bar area,” says Thomas.
In addition to being strong, durable and weather-resistant, EcoSmart fire pit tables are fitted with height-adjustable articulating feet to create a level and stable position in your outdoor environment, and you can choose from handy accessories that include everything you need to operate and look after your fire table, including protective toughened glass fire screens, attractive black glass charcoal media, an all-season cover, and lighting tools for the ethanol-fuelled models.
Multi-functional fire tables are an eye-catching and convenient addition to any bar or dining establishment’s patio, courtyard, terrace or garden area, as they showcase the alluring natural flames while providing a handy place to rest drinks and snacks.
EcoSmart portable fire pit tables are fuelled by clean-burning bioethanol. They don’t produce smoke or emissions, nor do they require a chimney, vent, or any costly electrical connections, which makes installation and operation affordable and easy.
All EcoSmart fire tables feature a stainless-steel burner at their core, boast attractive, clean-line styling and come in a wide choice of shapes, sizes and heights, including coffee table, dining and bar heights, which cater to a variety of outdoor dining space sizes, decors and requirements. They also come in a choice of two strong and weather-resistant materials: Fluid™ Concrete, a lightweight eco-friendly concrete in three hues – natural, graphite and bone – and a beautiful golden, natural oiled teak.
“EcoSmart fire tables create a convenient centrepiece for any lounge or casual dining setting – and versatility is paramount. For example, the bar-height fire table paired with sturdy teak upholstered Blinde Design bar stools creates an inviting and comfortable resort-style bar area,” says Thomas.
In addition to being strong, durable and weather-resistant, EcoSmart fire pit tables are fitted with height-adjustable articulating feet to create a level and stable position in your outdoor environment, and you can choose from handy accessories that include everything you need to operate and look after your fire table, including protective toughened glass fire screens, silicone burner covers, glass cover plates, an all-season cover, and lighting tools.
Low-maintenance outdoor fireplaces
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Today’s built-in outdoor fireplaces combine the visual and sensory appeal of traditional indoor hearths with design freedom and versatility. And restaurant, café and bar owners and their designers, architects and builders are not only specifying and installing them to give outdoor dining spaces a warm, inviting ambiance, but also to create an eye-catching feature and focal point. Additionally, they’re using a variety of materials and surround designs that take inspiration from luxury resorts and homes; popular décor styles including modern minimalist, coastal, mid-century, country; and the countries of their cuisines such as Mexican, Italian and Greek.
EcoSmart Fire’s range of stainless steel ethanol burners and the ever-versatile Flex fireplace inserts give venue owners both design freedom and ease of installation, as they don’t require a vent or chimney, nor connection to gas or electricity. Not being connected to a fixed power source also means EcoSmart’s ethanol-fuelled Flex Fireplaces can be installed almost anywhere in your outdoor space, in both full and partial walls.
The fireplace inserts are constructed from durable and rust-proof powder-coated steel, making them perfect for outdoor spaces. There are eight, versatile models to choose from in a choice of lengths and styles, including single-sided, double-sided and bench-style, as well as models with three and four open sides.
“Two or more open sides enable more customers to enjoy the flickering flames,” says Thomas. “A double-sided Flex Fireplace installed into an external wall adds warmth and an inviting ambience to both an indoor room and an outdoor space. A great example is the Tocca Madera restaurant in Los Angeles, which chose a double-sided insert for a wall that divides their interior and outdoor dining spaces. And they finished it with a natural stone surround to complement their venue’s modern Mexican-style décor.”
The clean-lined Flex Fireplace inserts fit flush to the wall, giving you the freedom to create a surround of your choice – perhaps to complement your outdoor dining space’s décor or your type of cuisine, or no surround at all for a sleek, minimalist look. Popular surround styles for the modern, custom fireplaces include slimline stone and timber mantels, roughly-hewn timber slab-style mantels and hearths, oversized granite hearths that double as a ledge, and smooth and natural-finish stack-stone and stone facing that covers a section or the entire fireplace wall.