This year, the ability to sit outside in the fresh air has become vital for many restaurants’ survival. In fact, outdoor dining may be the only option in some cities with demanding social distancing restrictions. These locations have even incorporated cold weather accommodation to ensure year-round enjoyment.
While each rooftop bar and restaurant is unique from one another, they all need to offer a breathtaking scenic view. When sunset begins, socializing over dinner and cocktails from the rooftops of bars, clubs, and restaurants is something most of us look forward to. A rooftop bar design can take developing outdoor space for relaxation and entertainment to new heights.
Although the view is the priority for every rooftop bar design, architects and interior designers must keep flooring and surfacing materials in mind for style and safety. Let’s look at a few key issues when designing rooftop spaces.
Safety First
Restaurant flooring must meet stringent commercial requirements related to slip-fall prevention, and Crossville develops products and solutions with this in mind. This includes outdoor spaces for guests and indoor back-of-house spaces for employees. All Crossville flooring products have been tested using the DCOF AcuTest™ method with all necessary specifications clearly stated on all informational materials, helping designers to easily and confidently identify tile products for the front- and back-of-house needs of restaurant flooring. Check out Crossville’s new Portugal Collection, specially designed for indoor-to-outdoor spaces!
Style Matters
The front-of-house of any restaurant has to make an impact and stand out in competitive marketplaces. The flooring in this area must be spot on and reinforce the overall theme. Crossville’s product line-up offers so many great looks, including replications of other popular materials that would never be viable options for restaurant flooring. For example, Crossville’s extensive wood-look tiles (Jazz Age and Story Teller collections) offer the performance that real wood simply couldn’t, just like the tile flooring design for Hattie’s at The Strathallan. This ambitious renovation project focused on reopening a famous rooftop restaurant in Rochester, New York. The design team sought not only to bring back the glamour and relaxed style Hattie’s had once been known, but they also wanted to introduce the hotspot to the new millennium—with a thoroughly modern, upscale lounge appeal. Crossville’s SpeakEasy collection gives the space a sense of warmth and tradition with weathered wood nuances in every plank, yet it will outlast, outperform, and require significantly less cleaning and upkeep than real wood.
Panel Discussions
In addition to flooring, designers need to think through maintenance and durability with all surfaces in a rooftop space. Crossville’s vast offerings of porcelain tile panels can make any wallcovering or surface area stylish and functional. The incredible installation options of Crossville’s porcelain tile panels prove to be a beautiful and cost-effective alternative to stone slabs for Biscuit & Branch, a hip restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Ultimately, the designer found the porcelain tile panels to be a beautiful and practical solution not only for the walls of Biscuit & Branch but also for stairs, ceilings, columns, counter- and bar-tops, and any vertical surface that require ease of cleaning.
Simple Maintenance
Messes are a part of restaurant life. The specification of tile makes life easier for everyone on staff because it is quick to clean and that endures high traffic beautifully with no compromise to appearance. All Crossville products require nominal care in order to maintain a satisfactory appearance and acceptable sanitation.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been much discussion about how surfaces might retain or transmit the virus, as well as how to best disinfect surfaces for spread prevention. With a growing body of knowledge on this topic, we now know that the potential of surface transmission is nominal. Nonetheless, designers continue to address the need for healthy surfaces and proper cleaning and maintenance. They’re strategically thinking through their selection of materials for floors and walls to ensure generally cleaner, safer physical environments.
As more restaurants expand to patio and rooftop spaces, designers will not only be looking for the best view but also adding safety and style to the top of the specification list. With Crossville’s extensive floor and wallcovering options, designers can cover all basis with the apex in surfacing solutions.
