Planters for restaurants and outdoor dining areas

A review of the materials, and the design options, most commonly specified for planters used to define perimeters and green outdoor dining areas.

As the demand for provision of outside dining increases, using planters can help in a number of ways - by:

Delineating the area from the public realm, and protecting both pedestrians and diners.
Bringing greenery and colour to enhance the customer experience.
When of sufficient height, providing an element of privacy / shelter for diners.
Offering additional branding opportunities.

Whether just a couple of planters at an entrance, or a long run around the edge of a terrace, 'cost-effective durability' is key. There are two materials that we particularly recommend for hospitality venues, that will stand up to commercial wear-and-tear, at a reasonable price.

Jump to gallery

Design options and material types

Zintec Steel - Powder Coated
Features: Colour, shape and size all customisable. Castors, adjustable feet, screens, matching menu stands etc. all possible as design extras. Can be made in sections and joined together to form a continuous wall. Can be easily and cheaply surface decorated and / or branded. Note: Movability by castors is the most commonly specified design extra, and is further discussed below.

1.4003-grade Stainless Steel - Powder Coated
Features: All options as per Zintec Steel - Powder Coated. Additionally, for a modest premium, 1.4003-grade Stainless Steel offer significantly higher technical performance in terms of longevity and corrosion resistance - as discussed in this article: 1.4003-grade Stainless Steel - The Unique Advantages.

Movability by castors

Movability by castors is the most commonly specified design extra for outdoor dining areas, and is fully discussed in this additional article: Moving Planters with Castors

The key points are:

If planters need to be moved daily, larger wheels with foot-operated brakes are most practical. The wheels are visible, and raise the planters up by around 10cm from the ground.
If planters only need to be moved infrequently, then wheels can be recessed so as not to be visible, and the brakes can be hidden behind access panels. In this configuration, the wheels are typically smaller, and the brake operated by hand.
If no brakes are required, then wheels can be recessed and invisible.

Planters are only practically movable up to a certain size. This will vary according to the weight of the planting and the surface over which the wheels move, but indicatively Length 1200mm is often a maximum practical size. Wheels are typically also not suitable for use on uneven surfaces, such as cobbles, or on a significantly sloping site.