Eat Outside Day Ideas for Restaurants

Summer is all about enjoying the weather and there is no better way than celebrating Eat Outside Day. If you are looking to figure out what changes you can make for a smooth promotional day, we have Eat Outside Day ideas for restaurants to help you get started. From food choices to preparing your patio, businesses can take advantage of the good weather with our outdoor eating ideas. 

To-Go Orders

Help customers to eat outdoors by making it easy to grab food and get outside. One way to make it even easier is to have to-go deals by having a premade set list of appetizers and entrees that they can choose from to mix and match. Having these prepackaged and ready to go will allow customers to buy and get outdoors in minutes. Don’t forget to set up to-go bags with extra essentials like disposable utensils and extra napkins so people have everything they need. If you want to go the extra mile, try printing out lists of local parks nearby and pack them in to-go orders so everyone can enjoy the outdoors. 

Patio Prep

Restaurants can participate with their own outdoor areas. Encourage and offer customers seating on the patio. Before you can offer seating make sure your patio is prepared and ready. Don’t forget to:

• Deep clean the patio – Make sure seats and tables have been cleaned and the floor has been swept and rinsed. Check that umbrellas are stable and in good condition. 


• Prepare staff – Help servers be able to give better service by having extra staff on hand to work the patio. Having more hands on deck will help them feel supported as they serve areas that are typically furthest from the kitchen. This also means checking that the tables are spaced properly so staff can easily move between each one. 


• Keep it cool – Make sure that everyone can enjoy outdoor eating by making sure fans are plugged in and working. Patios in the summer can get hot without the indoor air conditioning and having commercial fans for the patio will keep customers cool while they sit.

If you are looking for more patio ideas to make sure your space is in the best shape, check out our article on 4 Outdoor Restaurant Patio Ideas to help.

Menu Options

Eat Outside Day is the perfect opportunity to refresh your specials. You can take the day to highlight any of your seasonal dishes or summer produce items on the menu. Showcase any easy to eat food for to-go orders like sandwiches and wraps. Whether customers are taking food to-go or eating outside on the patio you can give them the menu options that remind them of summer. If your menu hasn’t been updated and could use a refresher, check out our articles on Summer Menu Ideas and Summer Restaurant Promotions to help you make the most of the good weather.