Outdoor Patio Heaters are Part of the New Normal
When families needed to pivot to work-from-home positions, they desired extended use of their decks and patios. And major cities in the Northeast saw lawmakers implement policy changes that centered around outdoor dining. With the economic disruption in retreat, it seems more home and restaurant owners want to employ an outdoor propane heater or natural gas heater to maximize outdoor spaces. Integrating a portable outdoor propane heater or natural gas heater has become part of the New Normal.
Politicians Extend Outdoor Dining Policies
“In October 2020, the commercial facility operators and catering & hospitality service providers caused a surge in demand for outdoor heating units as these service providers were trying to elevate their outdoor capacities to mitigate the reduced capacities in indoor facilities,” according to Fortune Business Insights.
In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker used a temporary order to allow mostly indoor restaurants to use sidewalks and streets to serve meals across Boston and other municipalities. Gov. Baker’s order allowed for flexible use of spaces that had previously been prohibited for commercial endeavors.
In New York City, political leaders took a major step toward making temporary outdoor dining a permanent business practice in November 2021. That’s when the City Planning Commission voted unanimously to amend zoning regulations and make sidewalk dining a Big Apple norm under its Open Restaurants program.
In Providence, Rhode Island, outdoor dining has become so popular on historic Federal Hill that streets are blocked over the weekend, and traffic gets rerouted. Outdoor restaurant seating fills plazas, sidewalks, and entire side streets are covered in the event of thundershowers. Parking lot attendants are literally charging prime event fees to accommodate the overflow.
It’s important to keep in mind that the Northeast experiences a relatively short summer and among the country’s more frigid autumns and winters. Despite the seasonally cold temperatures, citywide outdoor dining options are poised to remain in place until year’s end. The only way restaurant owners can pull off such a feat is by deploying a portable outdoor propane heater plan or installing natural gas heater units.
What restaurants and other businesses discovered was their patrons prefer the ambiance of being outdoors in the fresh air over sometimes cramped indoor spaces. With people willing to pay a premium for that experience, creating an outdoor propane heater or natural gas heater warming strategy is the only way to attract customers once summer wanes.
Outdoor Propane Heater Use Trending Among Homeowners
Spending more time at home has an increased number of people looking to improve their quality of life experience. Outdoor spaces such as patios, decks, verandas, and even pergolas positioned away from the main house are seen as more valuable.
The peace and tranquility of an early morning yoga session or late night drinks with friends have added appeal. The hard product data supports the notion that working families are choosing to enrich their at-home experience by utilizing a portable outdoor propane heater or a fixed natural gas heater installation.
“Outdoor heaters are appliances specifically designed to radiate heat outward where people are gathered. The radiant heat emitted from this appliance is absorbed by objects and people, raising the temperature,” according to Fortune Business Insights. “The global outdoor heating market is projected to grow from $1.21 billion in 2022 to $1.78 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6 percent in the forecast period, 2022-2029.”
The North American market share of outdoor patio heaters exceeded a half-billion dollars in 2021. That figure is expected to surge as more homeowners rethink outdoor living spaces and invest in extended daily and seasonal use.
Models Leading Outdoor Propane Heater & Natural Gas Heater Trend
The Patio Comfort line continues to trend high in commercial and residential settings. That’s largely because the Patio Comfort line offers portable outdoor propane heater and natural gas heater options.
Portable outdoor propane heater models typically house a refillable tank in the widened base. These tanks are refillable or exchangeable at area supermarkets, hardware stores, and gas stations, among others. It’s not uncommon for restaurateurs and homeowners to keep an extra tank in reserve. This allows them to easily change tanks and plan a refill or swap at a convenient time.
Identified by its iconic mushroom head, the Patio Comfort heaters delivers 40,000 BTUs of radiant heat dispersed in a circular throw radius. With no exposed flame, units can be positioned near outdoor dining seating or in a convenient backyard patio location. What makes these portable outdoor propane heater appliances so popular stems from the fact they can be safely repositioned once cool. They are a perfect option for restaurant owners to store overnight and strategically design their seating layout based on anticipated daily sidewalk capacity.
The Patio Comfort heaters also have a fixed-in-place option that runs on natural gas. Home and business owners who use natural gas on the premises have a unique opportunity to leverage that convenient and cost-effective fuel resource. A natural gas heater can be ideal for outdoor patios, smoking areas, and fresh-air cocktail spaces.
Identical to its portable mushroom head counterparts, a natural gas heater also generates 40,000 BTUs of warming comfort for paying customers. The only significant difference between the propane and natural gas heaters is the latter requires a designated gas line and the heater post mount must be fixed in place.
Both the portable propane and natural gas units come in stainless steel or antique bronze. The portable outdoor propane heater options also include jet silver and a vintage style. A standard 5-gallon tank typically delivers 10 hours of usage and natural gas installations can include timers to prevent waste.
Now that home and business owners have embraced outdoor dining and quality of life experience, there appears to be no going back. Winter may be coming, but savvy community members won’t be retreating indoors this season.