The Essential Guide to Beer Garden Design

The summer has well and truly arrived. That means it’s time to dust off some sunny salad recipes, apply the SPF and enjoy some good old-fashioned company in a beer garden. Having a nice outdoor seating section is a powerful way to attract repeat customers throughout the summer and build a local reputation as a go-to bar. 

Getting your outdoor beer garden right can bring in crucial seasonal business, as well as maximise your capacity for customers on busy days. But it’s not enough to simply put out a few wobbly benches and expect the customers to flock in their masses. Your outdoor seating area needs to balance logical zoning and an inviting vibe to be as memorable and profitable as possible. 

Spacing for the flow of the space 

One of the most important aspects of realising your beer garden ideas is creating an area that flows. People don’t want to have to fight their way to a table holding a round of pints and staff shouldn’t have to contend with customers to do basic on-the-go cleanup. This can only be made more complicated if you offer table service. 

• Make sure to leave space for a clear, unobstructed walkway from the internal bar to the furthest seating area. 
• If you have an outdoor bar, give it a little distance from other high-traffic areas to allow for people to pass through. 
• Keep your commercial outdoor tables in dense clusters, then create aisles so people can move smoothly without weaving around them.

These spacing principles will help your staff and customers to move smoothly, making everyone more comfortable and feel more welcome across the garden. 

Zoning to maximise revenue

Pubs with beer gardens can’t just be built for convenience. You can also use beer garden furniture to create different zones for various groups of customers. This allows for a wider variety of visits to maximise revenue.  

• Allow for a section of high-top tables or standing barrels near the main entrance to support faster-turnover groups. 
• Soft, weather-resistant modular seating and coffee tables can be used for late-night, longer-stay cocktail customers, etc. 
• Standard-height tables, such as in rectangular or square shapes, in a quieter or slightly removed section, are perfect for outdoor diners or standard beer groups. 

Having different zones is a great way to attract as many customers as you possibly can for all sorts of disparate reasons. 

Setting the perfect beer garden vibe

It’s not just about the function of your beer garden. You need to define an attractive atmosphere that people will choose time and time again. One approach is to start in this vein by ensuring that there are good grounding elements to establish an overarching vibe.

• Paving and stone elements are great for high-traffic areas.
• Composite decking is premium and good for lounging areas.
• Artificial grass can go either way but high-quality astro turf is often a good call for more urban beer gardens. 
• Gravel and aggregate are low-budget options with great drainage, but they’re not ideal for laying down furniture. 

Another of the best ways to do so is through making transitions between the sunny, warm day and the evening. 

• Bring in some festoon lighting strung overhead to define the space.
• Windbreaks, such as timber slats, can block prevailing winds.
• Setting up some infrared electric heaters mounted on walls are perfect for when evenings get a little colder. 

Along with all of this, it’s important to pick outdoor furniture that fits seamlessly into the vibe that you’ve worked to foster. The beer garden should feel like an extension of the bar itself, not a different venue altogether. 

Finding the right balance between aesthetics, functionality and revenue maximisation is the name of the game when it comes to building your beer garden. Make sure to follow these guidelines and become a go-to spot this summer!