Dining al fresco continues to be a top priority for members and guests seeking
a relaxed social center that highlights the surrounding scenery.
By Diana Mirel, Contributing Editor
SUMMING IT UP
- Controlling the climate in outdoor dining venues can help extend the season and enrich the overall dining experience.
- Situating the patio in a central, visible location on the property makes it an accessible and natural social hub.
- Embrace outdoor living with a wide variety of seating and dining options.
As spring approaches, everyone is itching to get outside. Outdoor living continues to be a top trend in the hospitality industry, and wherever people gather, they want to dine as well. Outdoor dining venues that are both stylish and comfortable offer members and guests the experience they desire, while also providing more options for dining and socializing on the property.
Comfort First
Settled on a hillside of Tucson Mountain Park, the outdoor patio at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz., overlooks the resort’s 27-hole golf course, the mountain range, and the city of Tucson. With a can’t-be-beat view like that, the patios are a top draw for guests coming from all over the country. “The lights of the city and the sunsets are just spectacular,” says Bill Blodgett, Director of Event Management and Food & Beverage. “Outdoor dining here is at a premium.”
Starr Pass Resort & Spa
Tucson, Ariz.
“We can individualize the shading for different tables and areas. If diners in one area desire partial sun, we can adjust the shades
accordingly in the area they are seated.”
—Bill Blodgett, Director of Event
Management and Food & Beverage
One of the biggest challenges for outdoor dining at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa is protecting guests from strong UV rays. On the poolside patio, Plunge (above), the uncovered section has umbrellas to block the sun as needed.
As the resort continued getting more requests from guests opting to dine al fresco, the Starr Pass leadership took steps to enrich the experience for guests and extend the seasons. The biggest challenge to outdoor dining at the property is the desert climate—strong UV rays and the extreme dry heat.
One way the resort addressed these issues was with new shading and misting systems for its Signature Grill dining patio and the poolside patio, Plunge. The Signature Grill patio is now completely covered with an advanced, adjustable shade structure. The system has different panels that can be cast out or drawn back. With plenty of flexibility, the food-and-beverage team can adjust the shades as needed.
“We can individualize the shading for different tables and areas,” says Blodgett. “If diners in one area desire partial sun, we can adjust the shades accordingly in the area they are seated. And if the people two tables down want full sun, we can adjust the shades in their area as well.”
A pressurized fine-misting system is installed within the shade structure that cools down the patio further for a more comfortable dining experience. The misting system was installed around the perimeter of the patio, with the pump and controls located out of sight in a utility room.
“In the Southwest, our humidity is so low that these misting systems are a popular way to extend patio usage,” says Blodgett. “The misting systems can drop the ambient temperature on the patio by 10-plus degrees.”
The Plunge patio has a similar shade structure and misting system that covers two-thirds of the patio. The uncovered section of the patio has umbrellas to block sun as needed.
The resort also added a new overhead lighting system with Southwest-styled, frosted-glass lanterns that are suspended from the shade structure. The rheostat lighting system can be adjusted to different intensities, depending on the time of day. “We used to just have candles on the tables for lighting, but that was not ideal for reading menus and it was problematic,” says Blodgett. “Introducing lighting fixtures improved the outdoor-dining experience.”
Country Club
Bermuda Dunes, Calif.“Whether members are coming off the greens in the late afternoon for a drink, or grabbing lunch before teeing off, the Grille Room is a great social area for our membership. They enjoy being out in the open and taking in the views.”—Lila Langsford, Membership Director
These improvements have taken the patios to a new level without detracting from the pueblo mission-style architecture and design of the areas. Both patios are furnished in contemporary wrought-iron tables and chairs. The chairs all have whimsical seat cushions made from a material designed to handle extreme UV rays.
Prior to using this resilient cushion material, the resort was replacing its chair cushions every 15-18 months, because the UV rays caused the fabric to deteriorate quickly. The new material, however, has lasted three years without deterioration. There are also significant cost savings.
“With our former cushions, we would spend about $18,000-$20,000, replacing the cushions every 15-18 months,” says Blodgett. “Now, we spend about $8,000—that’s more than half the cost and three times the wear-ability.”
The Perfect Location
The indoor/outdoor Grille Room is the place to be at Bermuda Dunes (Calif.) Country Club. Located on the ground level of the two-story clubhouse, the Grille Room is strategically placed between the club’s pro shop and the men’s and ladies’ locker rooms.
“Everyone loves the Grille Room because it is centrally located and convenient,” says Lila Langsford, Membership Director. “Whether members are coming off the greens in the late afternoon for a drink, or grabbing lunch before teeing off, the Grille Room is a great social area for our membership. They enjoy being out in the open and taking in the views.”
The Grille Room overlooks the San Jacinto Mountains and the club’s signature 18th hole. It has indoor and outdoor tables, with the majority of the seating on the oversized covered terrace. Inside, there are tables, a television and a functional bar (with no seating around it). The wall between the indoor grille and the outdoor terrace has double glass doors—which are typically left open—leading to the patio.
“Outside is the most popular area,” says Langsford. “We have people from the Pacific Northwest and all over the country where the weather is not so great. But here it is sunny and beautiful. So everyone wants to be outside to enjoy the good weather with good friends.”
“Make sure you have your chef, staff and Board members with vision involved in planning these spaces. There is so much money and time that can be wasted if you build
something that does not function well.”
—Bernie Kloppenberg, GM/COO, Sarasota Yacht Club
Kick Up the StyleAn outdoor dining venue should highlight the surroundings, while also setting a mood all its own. Instill personality into your outdoor dining spaces with a few tips and tricks:
- n Keep things comfortable. Ditch the hard patio seating and opt for cushioned armchairs made with outdoor fabrics. Living room-style gathering areas with outdoor loveseats, couches and coffee tables encourage members and guests to spend more time outside.
- Give it a glow. While candles certainly set a romantic mood, dim overhead lighting, soft spotlights and even festive twinkle lights add a dynamic glow.
- Go green. While wall hangings and artwork don’t often find a home outdoors, plants, flowers and trees in decorative planters can be used to bring the indoor color palate and design motif to life outside.
- Keep things flexible. As an inherently social setting, outdoor patios should be set up with movable furniture and a variety of table sizes and shapes. This allows members and guests to move tables together and pull up chairs to accommodate anyone who joins them, at any time.
Casual outdoor dining spaces should have movable furniture, so members and guests can configure them as needed.
While the weather is practically perfect, the Grille Room patio also has built-in features to maintain comfort and consistency. A beamed, wooden overhead structure blocks the hot California sun. Overhead fans, heaters and lighting are built into the structure, and there are roll-down shades along the perimeter to protect the outer tables as needed.
The indoor and outdoor areas share the same small kitchen, which is located within the indoor grille. Because the Grille Room kitchen is smaller, most of the prep work is done upstairs in the club’s main kitchen, and the food is then brought down to the Grille Room kitchen. With the easy-to-access bar located just inside the glass doors, the servers are able to swiftly service the indoor and outdoor areas with very few obstacles.
The scenic surroundings create an inviting ambiance, while the furnishings, décor and lighting further set the relaxed tone on the patio. The patio has stained concrete flooring and patio furniture with plush, oversized cushioned chairs, and round and oval tables. The patio is lined with trees and planters.
Although the club offers members a formal dining option on Friday nights in the clubhouse, the Grille Room patio’s social atmosphere, combined with its scenic views, make it a top draw at Bermuda Dunes CC on a day-to-day basis. “It’s an area I like to showcase with prospective members; it’s often the first place I take them on the clubhouse tour,” says Langsford. “This is the highlight dining area for our club.”
Cutting-Edge Club Style
When the Sarasota (Fla.) Yacht Club renovated its clubhouse three years ago, it blended traditional yacht club design with modern, resort-style architecture. Its new patio areas, in particular, now have a resort vibe that celebrates the club’s waterfront surroundings.
“Our club is on the water and everyone wants to be out there,” says Bernie Kloppenberg, General Manager/COO. “People want to enjoy outdoor living.”
The Waterside Dining patio overlooks the marina and downtown Sarasota. The veranda is a covered area with a permanent overhead structure that has a teak and tile ceiling. It is set up with metal and teak dining tables and chairs, along with soft, brown couches. Wooden planters with tropical accents further complement the scenic surroundings.
The club made significant changes to the poolside patio, a casual, versatile dining area with a vacation oasis vibe. “The pool patio has a South Beach feel to it, with very high-end, beautiful silver and white furniture,” says Kloppenberg.
During the renovation, the club also added three soft-seating, living room-styled sitting areas and two stone fire pits, which are encased in glass and have ledges for beverages. “Fire pits are one of the hottest trends in Florida,” says Kloppenberg. “Whether it is 40 degrees or 85 degrees, people want to be outside, around the fire pits.”
A new, modern outdoor bar with 15 bar seats and outdoor televisions was also added to the pool patio.
While the design and décor are crucial to setting the mood in these spaces, Kloppenberg stresses the importance of focusing on function when designing outdoor patios. “Make sure you have your chef, staff and Board members with vision involved in planning these spaces,” he advises. “There is so much money and time that can be wasted if you build something that does not function well.”
Sarasota Yacht Club Sarasota, Fla. “Fire pits are one of the hottest trends in Florida. Whether it is 40 degrees or 85 degrees, people want to be outside, around the fire pits.”
—Bernie Kloppenberg,
General Manager/COO
The Waterside Dining patio at Sarasota (Fla.) Yacht Club overlooks the marina and downtown Sarasota. A clubhouse renovation three years ago blended traditional yacht club design with modern, resort-style architecture in the club’s outdoor dining venues.
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