How to Create a Cozy Beer Garden for a Pub, Bar, or Restaurant

It’s that time of year again when you need to start thinking about your garden for summer. Here are some helpful ideas:

1. GARDENS ARE OUTDOOR SPACES

First and foremost, a garden connected to a pub, bar or restaurant should feel like a garden and not an interior space. Many homeowners try to continue interior finishes to the exterior, which defeats the purpose of a garden atmosphere. The garden should have exterior features like stone and brick and the furniture should look like outdoor furniture. In my travels I found plenty of wood-slat beer gardens and fabric-covered bar stools; these areas try to resemble interior spaces. Instead, try to embrace the atmosphere of the outdoor garden, working with the multitude of materials and finishes that are available to transform a nondescript space into an exciting outdoor experience.

2. STYLE

Decide on your style or theme and then do some research.

Look at the building and its walls: are there any existing features that can dictate a style or that can be embellished?

Keep the theme from inside to outside; For example, if you have an Art Deco interior, try incorporating Art Deco statues, tiles, or lamps outside instead of making it a generic garden. Likewise, if it’s a traditional pub with lots of Bric-a-Bracs, bring Bric-a-Bracs outdoors.

3. THE CLIMATE

climatic considerations

The glare/heat factor: use canopies, plants, or stained glass to diffuse.

Wind: Wear windbreakers. Anything can be designed to reduce the wind factor: willow fences, metal or wood frames with glass or canvas windbreaks. I recently designed a trellis planter and since it had wheels it was mobile which worked very well for my client.

When deciding on the position of your seats, keep in mind which direction the wind is coming from.

Rain: Provide adequate cover for smokers in bad weather. In particularly humid climates, a permanent fixed solution such as glass in a wood or glass frame will be much easier to maintain than a canvas canopy. The glass means daylight/sunlight can get through, which is important on those hot summer days. If it’s too hot or too bright, exterior blinds can be installed.

4. REGULATIONS

Before building anything, it is important to know what the local regulations are. In Ireland, the guideline for covering areas is described as a bus shelter where the roof covers an area that has 50% open and 50% closed walls.

5. SMOKER

Divide smokers from non-smokers if you have space.

Opening windows may not be an option as smoke can get inside and customers do not like this.

Provide ashtrays on tables and a few sand buckets around where cigarette butts can be removed at cleanup time.

6. UGLY AREAS

Make sure the views are good and do not face dumpster/garbage areas or parking lots. Use plant screens or wooden fences to hide unsightly areas.

7. LIGHTING

Again, use outdoor accessories that suit your style, whether it’s modern or traditional. The lights can be installed in all kinds of things and places. Try outdoor LED string lights under baseboards at a low level or above a wall for a nice warm glow. Often you can find an accessory that turns on and off, thus getting double the benefit. Choose lighting that will set the mood without giving your customers a headache from glare. Candles always look fabulous in a garden setting placed in simple glass jam jars, bird cages, or vintage colanders or metal objects. If you have an outdoor bar, make it glow in the dark with candles and LED string lights.

8. OUTDOOR BARS

Check local regulations on this: in many cases, outdoor bars must be located in a smoke-free area; otherwise, the person serving the bar will be subject to smoke inhalation. If you use wood, use teak or a suitable exterior wood with as little detail as possible so water doesn’t collect in its cracks. Using wood outdoors means that you will have to commit to maintaining it. Being subject to all types of weather means that whatever finish you use, it will need to be topped up regularly. Stone countertops are great because water runs off. Use locked refrigerators and undercounter units for added security. Make sure there is a permanent cover over the Bar and customer so the counter can be used in any weather.

9. SOWING

Flowers make people smile, so go wild with them! Use colors to fit your garden palette. It’s always good to have a few varieties in a pot or planter in case one of them fails. You can plant flowers anywhere as long as there are holes for water to drain: buckets, bikes, beds… take a look at these ideas. Ask your plumber to install a piped irrigation system set on a timer with feeds for all your plants and flowers. It can be set to water at night so runoff water is gone by morning. Swap out your pots for ivy and small trees like box hedges in the winter for an evergreen look.

I recommend that you hire a designer to guide you through all of this. Professional advice is worthwhile and you can usually agree with a designer as to the level at which they get involved to fit their budget.

For more garden ideas, check out the blog posts at http://www.pubdesigndoctor.com/category/beer-gardens/