Category: Fencing

How to Design a Better Dining Space for your Restaurant

Designing a restaurant from space is a truly exciting endeavor. If you’re a small business owner, you have the opportunity to create a space that reflects your personal taste and the ambiance you want to create for your customers. In some ways, it is an extension of your life and personality, which is why it’s crucial to get the design right from the beginning.

Your dining area is arguably the most important space to design, as it creates the customer experience. Your dining space design should:

  • Facilitate your workflow
  • Create an inviting atmosphere that reflects your marketing plan
  • Be spacious enough to allow for easy foot traffic while maximizing space to fill capacity

If you want to create the best atmosphere for both customers and staff, follow these four tips for designing your dining area:

Choose décor wisely.

People will choose your restaurant over others in the area not only because of the food you serve but because of the atmosphere you create that they can identify with. A speakeasy has a very different customer base than a sports bar and grill, and the décor you choose will play a big part in who feels “at home” in your space versus who feels out of place.

Avoid bad seating areas. 

Space near the doors, kitchen and bathrooms are typically considered bad seats in a restaurant because they are noisier and have temperature fluctuations that other seating areas do not. You can utilize this space for other things instead of seating, such as a waiting area or server stations to ensure everyone in the house has a great place to dine.

Balance comfort with capacity. 

While it may be tempting to fit as much seating into your restaurant as possible, this creates an uncomfortable experience for your patrons. Instead of trying to accommodate everyone, make an effort to create a comfortable experience for the customers you have by spacing out tables far enough that you can’t hear the conversation from one to the next.

Invest in outdoor space

Almost every restaurant can benefit from having outdoor seating, whether that is for dining, the bar, or simply outdoor waiting areas when you’re over capacity. Outdoor seating provides a beautiful ambiance on a nice day, and opens opportunities for you to add live music or private events within your space.

MaintenX can help you configure your dining space with renovations and preventative care services to ensure your business is always running smoothly. For more tips and information on restaurant design and maintenance, visit our Resource Center.

Modern Building Design Trends in 2022

The primary objective of any company is to stand out from the competition. Whether you’re a Silicon Valley tech firm or a mom-and-pop shop from down the road, you want to take every competitive advantage you can to make yourself seen. You can do so with innovative products or a stellar marketing campaign, but one area you cannot neglect is your storefront design.

An inviting storefront is especially important for retail and restaurant spaces, but it can be utilized as a marketing advantage for any business. A modern building design will make your business memorable and may attract attention solely for the look of the building before customers know what’s inside.

Bring your branding outside.

Most businesses will have signage outside their storefront and near the road, but you can do even more to transform your architecture into a branding moment. By associating your business with the unique architectural elements such as the pillars, front entrance, or building colors, you can set yourself apart as a local attraction that locals will recognize and remember.

Try unique textures.

Most commercial buildings have a simple concrete exterior, but you can make your building more modern by adding panels with a woodgrain or stucco texture. This adds visual interest and can make your building look more modern and unique from every other building on the block.

Use railing to your advantage.

Railing is a common addition to commercial buildings to separate outdoor areas or front entrances from the street. These symmetrical lines can add to the visual appeal, especially if matched to other vertical or horizontal lines utilized in the building design. They can also help a building look taller or more spacious if the outdoor area is closed off.

Pops of color.

Many business owners are afraid of bright colors, but this can actually help your business by making it stand out. Murals or a solid bright color like green or red can help your building become a local landmark. This will subconsciously drive in traffic to your storefront with the simple change of the exterior. Murals can also serve the same purpose and will add beautiful public art to your local community at no cost to residents.

MaintenX can help you make your building stand out with exterior renovations of any kind. If you’re interested in modernizing your commercial facility, contact your local MaintenX team for more information.

Fencing Maintenance for Commercial Properties

For many commercial facilities, fencing is nothing but an eyesore. Whether it’s old, damaged, or neglected, a majority of commercial fencing we encounter has most certainly seen better days. This may not seem like a big deal, but poorly maintained fencing can ruin your property’s curb appeal and weaken the security of your building. 

 

When maintained properly, fencing provides security, privacy, and aesthetic appeal to your commercial property. Below are a few simple ways to maintain your fencing with minimal effort from you and your maintenance staff: 

 

Trim overgrowth.

Decorative vines and flowers can look nice on the front of your property, but they can easily get out of hand. Whether you have intentional vines growing on your fence or pesky overgrowth that’s weighing your fence down, be sure to trim it down so that you can still see the fencing underneath. Too much foliage can cause the fencing to buckle or crack under the extra weight. 

 

Spray wood and vinyl fencing with a hose every six months.

Treated wood and vinyl fencing will need to be washed every so often to remove dirt from the surface. If your wood fencing is untreated, be careful with this as it could cause water damage. However, if your fencing is treated with a waterproof stain or is made of vinyl, aluminum, or another water-resistant material, washing down with a hose twice a year will keep your fence looking clean. 

 

Repair cracks and splinters immediately.

It can be tempting to ignore small cracks or holes in your fencing, but this is a bad idea for many reasons. The longer you wait to address them, the more likely it is that your fencing will become too damaged to repair. It will develop major splits or water damage, and soon enough you’ll have to replace the entire panel or section. By repairing cracks and splinters as soon as they come to your attention, you can save hundreds on fencing repairs. 

 

These three tips will help extend the service life of your fencing and reduce repair expenses now and in the future. To learn more about fencing maintenance for commercial properties, contact your local MaintenX team today!

Tips for Choosing the Right Fence For Your Commercial Facility

Do you have a dilapidated, damaged or otherwise unsightly fence at your facility? It is all too easy to let this aesthetic feature of your facility slip through the cracks, but a poorly maintained fence can attract a very wrong crowd to your business. Fencing is not only a cosmetic feature, but an important part of your facility’s security and privacy for tenants and customers. By investing in the proper installation and maintenance of your fence, you can create a safer and more enjoyable place to work. 

 

Whether you’re installing your first fence or are ready to renovate your existing structure, these are the best guidelines to follow when choosing your materials and working with a contractor: 

 

Choose a high-quality material.

Not all fencing is created equally. Different materials are designed for different purposes and by lacking in your research, you may choose the wrong fence for your facility. Typically, wooden and vinyl fences are used for privacy, while tall chain link can be used for security. Aluminum and wrought iron are beautiful, but they won’t offer great protection or privacy. Before you buy, think about what is most important to you in terms of fence function and style. 

 

Think about local weather and climate. 

You may love the look and price of a wooden fence, but your local climate may not agree with you. In Tampa, Florida, where MaintenX is headquartered, we typically recommend something waterproof so that your fence will survive the summer hurricane season. If you live on the waterfront or in an area that is windy, you may opt for chain link so wind and water can go through your fence rather than putting pressure on it and potentially collapsing it. Or, you can choose the all-around sturdy vinyl that is waterproof, durable, and won’t buckle under the summer heat. 

 

Find the right price

While commercial fencing can be as decorative as residential fencing, you will likely have much more ground to cover than a homeowner will. You want to balance quality for price when it comes to commercial fencing or else you may be in over your head very quickly. If you want to cut your budget without sacrificing curb appeal, don’t be afraid to mix fencing styles. You can use chain link or wood for areas that aren’t visible to the public, while adding vinyl or aluminum to areas seen from the road. 

 

Choose the best contractor

The most important choice in planning your fencing project is choosing the right contractor. Without a proper installation, your fencing will not reach its full lifespan and will likely need many repairs along the way. Choose a contractor like MaintenX that is experienced, well-established, and doesn’t cut corners to give you the fencing installation you deserve.