Outdoor dining

Restaurant and hospitality tents: building an all-season outdoor dining space

The outdoor room.

LP Tent gazebos, pagodas and marquees for outdoor dining and catering, priced to your specification with a quote within 1 business day.

Get a QuoteHospitality

For a restaurant, the tent is the room. It sets the temperature, the light and the sense of enclosure that turns a terrace into a dining room people choose to sit in — in October, not just July. The right structure extends your covers and your season; the wrong one looks tired under artificial light and lets the heat out before a word's been spoken. Here's how to get an outdoor dining space that earns its rent year-round.

Explore colours, walls and artwork for a ZP gazebo. Design ZP in 3D

The legal bit, briefly

The licence first

A structure the public dines under sits inside two frameworks worth knowing. Pavement licences — introduced by the Business and Planning Act 2020 and made permanent by the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 — cover furniture and structures on the highway, with your council setting the terms. And because the public is underneath it, the structure itself is an EN 13782 (wind and structural) and EN 13501-1 (fire) matter, not a garden-gazebo decision. Certification evidence is available on request for your licensing application. Our full range of hospitality tents for restaurants, hotels and venues is specified with both frameworks in mind.

Not fair-weather

Built for year-round trade

Heating sized to the space — quiet and even, not a patio glow; lighting that flatters; walls and lining for the cold months; and branding that reads as part of the venue, not a marquee hire. Check the electrical load and required runtime before choosing portable power. Heating can draw substantial power; mains supply or a different heating system may suit longer service periods.

The structure

Choosing a terrace shelter

Pagode and GP offer distinctive roof profiles for hospitality settings. For regular setup and transport, compare the CO, XP and ZP folding ranges. Your site, anchoring and intended time erected determine suitability. Discuss a fixed installation separately with your specialist. Compare the ranges.

Common questions

Restaurant and hospitality tents — FAQ

Do I need a licence for a restaurant tent?

If the structure sits on the highway, you will usually need a pavement licence — introduced by the Business and Planning Act 2020 and made permanent by the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023. Your council sets the terms and fee. On private land the planning position differs, but the structure still has to be compliant.

How do I heat an outdoor dining tent in winter?

Choose heating for the enclosed space, ventilation and service duration. Walls and lining affect heat loss. Your specialist can check the electrical load and runtime to establish whether mains, portable power or another heating system suits the site.

What structure suits a hospitality terrace?

Pagode and GP offer a distinctive canopy for venue use. Suitability depends on exposure, anchoring and how long the structure will remain erected. Discuss those conditions with your specialist; a folding gazebo should not be assumed suitable for permanent installation.

Is it safe for the public to dine under?

Suitability depends on the structure, fabric, anchoring, exposure and how the site is managed. Request the relevant structural and fire certification evidence for your chosen specification, and check your venue and licensing requirements.

Can the structure be branded to the venue?

Yes — printed canopies, walls and detailing that read as part of the venue rather than a marquee hire, so the outdoor room looks like it belongs.

Next step

Specify your outdoor dining space

Tell us about your terrace and how you want to trade through the seasons, and we'll scope the structure, climate and branding to it.

Get a QuoteHeating