Chef Wolfgang Strauser

I have a small restaurant in the downtown area of our tourist town. I can seat up to 48 inside, but have been trying to get permission for a patio in the back. I finally got permission from building and zoning a month ago, but they shot down my retractable pergola plan. To accelerate opening my patio I bought two 16’x10’ Aleko motorized awnings. The price was right and combined they were the right size (except for the depth) although there is about a 6-inch gap between them that allows both sun and rain to enter. I’d only need the coverage for the lunch hour trade when the sun was really intense. Late afternoon and evening they wouldn’t be necessary unless there was light rain and customers were already outdoors. The two awnings have not been working so well as the fabric is cheaply sewn and has also begun to disintegrate, but patrons are enjoying the new space for the moment. It’s basically doubled my summertime seating and will boost revenue too. I just wish they were 14’ deep instead of 10’, and then they’d shade the outer edge of the patio better. Even though it is an expense, I am thinking about taking them down and instead installing the Roma model from www.retractableawnings.com that is available in either a 14 foot 3 inch or 16-foot projection. Also, if I upgrade, they offer one unit at 32′ feet wide thus having no 6-inch gap as I have now. That way, my patrons are taken care of by fully covering them during the hottest time of the day.