Guides · Setting up
Outdoor seating: what my awnings cost and whether they paid
Five awnings, two parasols, 200 covers outside, and the neighbours.
Outside space was the best investment I made at Time Café & Bar, and the one that caused the most arguments. Here's what it cost, what it earned, and what I'd check before spending a penny.
What I had, and what it cost
- Five awnings over the terrace and the balcony, at a little over £2,000 each, so around £11,000 to £13,000 fitted.
- Two large parasols for the open part of the terrace.
- When the awning fabric needed replacing a few years later, the re-cover quote was £4,620 for the set; the fitter told me a single re-cover is normally over £1,000, so a set price is worth asking for.
With all of it up, I could seat over 200 people outside. Inside, the bar held a fraction of that. On a hot Saturday the terrace was the business.
Did it pay?
Yes, quickly, but only because of three things that were already true:
- The outside space was on my lease. I had the right to use it, so there was no fight with the council over tables on the pavement. If your outside area is public pavement you need a pavement licence from the council, which has a fee, conditions and a time limit. Check this before you look at a single awning brochure.
- The location got the sun and the footfall. Awnings don't create customers; they let you serve the ones already walking past.
- I had the staff to run it. Two hundred outside covers means runners, a second till section and someone watching the door. Your EPOS sections and your rota have to grow with the terrace.
The part nobody warns you about: the neighbours. The council was fine. The residents overlooking the terrace were not. The big parasols blocked views and the noise carried, and the complaints kept coming. Talk to the nearest residents before anything goes up, keep the parasols as low as you can, and have a closing time for the outside area that you actually stick to. A good relationship with the neighbours is worth more than an extra hour of service.
Before you buy
- Lease or pavement licence: which one covers you, and what does it allow?
- Planning: fixed awnings on some buildings, especially listed ones or in conservation areas, need permission. Ask the council's planning desk; it's a free question.
- Wind: ask the supplier for the wind rating and whether the awning retracts automatically. A wind-damaged awning isn't covered by most insurers.
- Heaters and lights: budget for them, because the terrace earns in the evening too.
- Neighbours: a conversation now saves a licensing review later.