Parasols for gastronomy - what to look out for when buying
Are you a restaurateur and looking for suitable parasols for your outdoor area? Regardless of whether it is a restaurant, café, bar, beer garden or pub – every restaurateur should provide their guests with a shady spot. Parasols are an absolute must, especially on hot or rainy days, so that you don't lose your customers and sales.
But the external impact is also important. A restaurateur should attach great importance to high-quality and inviting equipment in order to attract new guests. High-quality parasols are definitely one of them.
All the more important is the question of what to look out for when buying the right parasols. In our guide, we would like to go into this question in more detail.
Contents:
What actually is a gastro parasol?
But what should you pay attention to when buying gastro parasols?
The size
The stability
Central mast parasols or rather a traffic light one - which type of parasol is the right one?
The weather resistance
How much does a good gastro parasol cost?
The problem with the weight
The advantage of parasol stands with wheels
What actually is a gastro parasol?
A parasol that has been specially developed for the catering trade has many names. The most common terms are gastro parasol, market parasol, large parasol or advertising parasol (because the logo of the company is often shown).
But why not just talk about a parasol for gastronomy? Very easily: A gastronomy parasol must be able to do more than just protect you from the sun. It has to be particularly robust, wind-resistant and, above all, waterproof in order to be able to protect guests in the event of unexpected rain showers. For this reason, gastronomy parasols are often made of different materials than ordinary parasols or cantilever parasols for private use.
But what should you pay attention to when buying gastro parasols?
The size
The most obvious first: Choose parasols with large diameters. Of course, if you search the Internet specifically for "gastro parasols", you will also mostly find large parasols, since gastro parasols are designed to provide shade for as many guests as possible. Large parasols are often more profitable than small ones because you have to buy fewer parasols overall. You can also better protect larger groups of people sitting at a table from the sun.
The stability
Don't skimp on materials. High-quality gastro parasols should be made of robust and durable materials. A parasol mast made of metal or sturdy wood should be the preferred choice. Instead, avoid large parasols made of plastic. High-quality materials not only increase the stability, but also the longevity at the same time and thus protect your wallet.
Central mast parasols or rather a traffic light one - which type of parasol is the right one?
Gastro parasols are more often available in the form of a classic central mast parasol, as this type of construction is particularly stable and wind-resistant.
But the so-called traffic light parasols, where the parasol mast is attached to the side, are also becoming increasingly popular in the catering trade. Since the mast is no longer in the middle, cantilever parasols offer more available shade for your guests. However, this is opposed to the design-related higher susceptibility to wind of the traffic light parasols, since the counterweight is no longer attached in the middle. For this reason, when using cantilever parasols, you should plan with significantly heavier parasol stands.
The weather resistance
In contrast to private use, where one spontaneously decides to move inside the house when it rains, this flexibility does not usually exist in gastronomy. Unexpected rain falls again and again, especially in the summer months. It should therefore be ensured that your guests remain well protected even in the event of spontaneous changes in the weather.
With large parasols you can offer shelter to as many guests as possible. The decisive factor here is whether your parasols are also waterproof. Therefore, be absolutely sure that the covering (or the cover material) is water-repellent. Possible types of fabric that can ensure this are polyacrylic, polyester or PVC.
Beware: Here, too, thin and cheaply processed fabrics cannot completely repel water. So make sure that the fabrics are as thick and robust as possible. In addition, the parasols should also be impregnated regularly.
Helpful tip: Be sure to open your parasol after a rain shower so that it can dry quickly and there is no mould.
How much does a good gastro parasol cost?
This question is not so easy to answer in general and depends on the size, quality and design. For smaller, but still high-quality gastro parasols, you should expect to pay at least €500 to €1,500. Particularly large gastro parasols can also cost between €1,500 and €5,000. As is well known, there are no upper limits.
If you have the necessary budget available, then you should put quality before price, as there are also many extremely cheap models on the parasol market that no longer keep what they promise, after a short time.
The problem with the weight
Even if robust large parasols have many advantages, there is a catch: the weight. Parasols with a particularly large diameter also require a particularly heavy counterweight.
In order to ensure the necessary stability, the parasol can, of course, be firmly anchored in the ground. In many cases, however, this is not possible and also extremely impractical, since the parasols cannot be flexibly moved and have to be outside around the clock, which means that they weather more quickly.
Instead, you should use classic parasol stands that are equipped with weights. To ensure that large gastro parasols remain securely anchored even on windy days, weights of over 100 kg sometimes have to be used.
The advantage of parasol stands with wheels
If you would like to regularly move or rearrange your large or gastro parasols or store them in a building overnight, then you should definitely opt for a mobile parasol stand with wheels. If you would like to find out more about the different rollable umbrella stands, then click here.
The LIRO parasol stand
With our innovative LIRO parasol base, we are also represented on the market for mobile parasol stands. Thanks to the patented "Lift & Roll" technology, even large parasols can be moved easily and without exertion.
You can find out more about LIRO on our website.
