Outdoor “zipper” shades like the FlexShade ZIP from Draper are perfectly suited to creating outdoor dining spaces that retain an indoor level of comfort. Mesh shades provide protection from insects and the elements while maintaining the natural views that make outdoor dining so appealing.
FlexShade ZIP with Mermet E Screen™ 3% Charcoal Grey fabric, installed at the Budd Dairy Food Hall, Columbus, Ohio. Dealer & Installer: Accent Drapery Co.
A great example of how outdoor shades protect your customers (and your business) can be seen in the video below. During an installation of Draper FlexShade ZIP outdoor shades at the Salty Crab in Fort Myers, Florida, it started raining
FlexShade ZIP with Phifer SunTex 95 5% Black fabric, installed at Rick’s Café, Naples, Maine. Dealer & Installer: Futureguard. Photographer: Blind Dog Photo Associates. Most of the installation by Coastal Canvas and Awning Company had been completed, so they went ahead and lowered the shades that were installed and ready. In the section where shades are not yet installed, there are no customers. But where the shades have been deployed, customers are enjoying their meals with no effect from the weather.
Flexshade ZIP & Flexshade ZIP XL with Phifer SheerWeave® 2400 3% Charcoal fabric, installed at the Short Hills Country Club, Short Hills, New Jersey. Dealer: Futureguard. Installer: JoDiMor, Inc. Photographer: Bruce Katz.
Many times, restaurants with outdoor spaces use clear plastic barriers for protection from the elements, including rain. By using exterior shades like the Draper FlexShade ZIP with mesh fabrics, people are kept dry with a more aesthetically appealing solution, as evidenced by the video. The videographer even takes a walk around the outdoor dining area and demonstrates the mesh fabric’s ability to repel rain – with no misting through the openings.
As the videographer states, “When you roll that clear plastic down people go away. You roll these down, people stay and have dessert.”