Outdoor venue furniture layout: 7 practical tips for pubs, bars and rooftops

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Cuppit's Estate Winery - Ulladulla


Outdoor venue furniture layout: 7 practical tips for pubs, bars and rooftops

Whether you call it a beer garden, rooftop, courtyard or alfresco area, your outdoor seating needs to work like the rest of the venue. Flow, service lanes, cleaning access and quick re-sets matter more than squeezing in extra seats. In this guide we cover practical layout tips using commercial galvanised steel and timber settings, including dining height and bar height options, plus individual tables, benches and stools for spares or custom fit-outs.

We often call these beer garden settings, but you will also hear outdoor bar settings, rooftop bar settings, pub furniture and commercial outdoor seating. The naming changes, the layout principles do not.

1) Start with service flow, not furniture count

Before you decide how many settings you can squeeze in, map the paths people actually take. Staff lanes between the bar, kitchen pass, POS, toilets, glass return and bins need to stay clear even when the outdoor area is full. Customers need obvious entry and exit paths that do not cut through seated diners.

  • Mark your “must stay clear” lanes first, then place settings around them
  • Keep gates, doors and ordering points free of bottlenecks
  • Avoid placing your best tables directly in the main walkway
  • Plan for prams, wheelchairs and high foot traffic paths early

Most venues perform better with slightly fewer seats and better circulation, because speed of service and comfort usually win over cramming.

2) Split the space into zones: dining, drinks and high turnover

The fastest way to improve an outdoor area is to stop treating it as one single seating zone. Many venues do best with a dining-friendly zone and a quicker drinks zone closer to the bar. Dining height settings suit longer stays and meals. Bar height settings suit stand-and-chat areas where turnover is naturally higher.

If you want a simple starting point for a drinks zone, consider the package with stools, the bar high 5 piece setting.

If you want a larger bar height setup built around a 1500mm table for group areas, compare the 7 piece bar high setting.

For custom bar zones, you can also purchase bar height tables separately in the compact footprint, the 750mm bar high table, and the longer format, the 1500mm bar high table.

3) Choose a dining height size that matches your footprint

Dining height settings usually come down to four practical sizes, 1200mm, 1500mm, 1800mm and 2400mm. The best choice is rarely “the biggest”. It is usually the one that keeps flow workable while still seating groups comfortably.

1200mm Best for tight courtyards, narrow runs and compact footprints where flow matters most, 1200mm 3 piece setting.
1500mm The classic venue workhorse and a true 6 seater footprint in most layouts, 1500mm 3 piece setting.
1800mm More length and elbow room for dining areas and bigger groups, 1800mm 3 piece setting.
2400mm Extra-long communal seating for functions and big group zones, 2400mm 3 piece setting.

Quick rule of thumb: choose 1200mm when space is the limiter, choose 1500mm for the most versatile everyday layout, choose 1800mm when dining comfort matters, and choose 2400mm when you want long communal runs for groups and functions.

4) Lock in availability early, then build out over time

Large venue furniture is not like ordering small parcels. Stock levels and lead times matter, especially if you are opening, renovating, or planning for a busy season. A smart approach is to lock in the size that is available now for your core layout, then add made-to-order sizes as the venue grows or as you refine your zones.

These settings are made in Melbourne to order and available on pre-order, with an estimated lead time of around 2 to 4 weeks depending on production schedules. We do carry limited stock of certain sizes or components at times, so if timing matters, confirm availability before you lock it in.

If your space needs something in between standard sizes, custom sizing is also possible. For lead times and custom sizing, contact us.

5) Make your layout reset friendly for events and cleaning days

Most venues re-set their outdoor area more often than expected. Rooftops, courtyards and beer gardens get rearranged for functions, live sport, DJs, private bookings and weather changes. If staff have to drag settings to move them, it wastes time, chews up surfaces, and often becomes a two-person job.

The simplest win is fitting wheels so one staff member can move a setting safely. Add the galvanised castor wheels.

  • Quicker re-sets for events and functions
  • Easier cleaning access under benches and tables
  • Less dragging across pavers, concrete and textured surfaces

If you only do one add-on for venue use, wheels are usually the one staff notice immediately.

6) Plan shade and weather protection properly, not as an afterthought

Outdoor comfort changes fast, especially in exposed courtyards and rooftops. If umbrellas are part of the plan, decide early so your layout is built around umbrella positions, not fighting them later. Umbrellas impact bench access, service lanes and table spacing more than people realise.

We offer a centred umbrella hole drilling service for an additional $20 when ordered with a setting. To arrange it before checkout, contact us.

  • Keep umbrellas out of main staff lanes and away from doors and gates
  • Allow bench clearance so guests can sit and stand comfortably
  • Think about wind exposure and how umbrellas will be weighted and managed

Tip for rooftops: if wind is a constant, prioritise layouts that still feel good without umbrellas and use umbrellas only where you can manage them safely.

7) Keep your fit-out flexible with individual pieces and spares

One of the best ways to keep a venue fit-out resilient is being able to buy individual tables, benches and stools. It lets you replace a damaged piece without buying a whole set, add an extra bench for peak seasons, or build a custom layout that fits your exact footprint.

If you need dining height tables only for custom builds or spares, compare common lengths, the 1200mm beer garden table, the 1500mm beer garden table, the 1800mm beer garden table, and the 2400mm beer garden table.

If you need benches only, including spares or extra seating, compare the 1000mm beer garden bench, the 1200mm beer garden bench, and the 1500mm beer garden bench.

If you are building or expanding bar height zones, match the tables with stools as needed, the beer garden bar stool, and the 450mm high bar stool.

If you want a compact “all-in-one” dining height option for small areas, compare the 5 piece table setting.

Practical layout checklist for venue owners and managers

  • Mark staff lanes first (bar to tables, kitchen pass, POS, toilets, bins, glass return)
  • Keep gates, doors and ordering points free of bottlenecks
  • Build zones where possible: dining for meals, bar height for drinks and high turnover
  • Choose 1200mm when space is tight, 1500mm for the all-rounder, 1800mm for dining comfort, 2400mm for big communal runs
  • If settings move even occasionally, fit wheels from day one so one staff member can handle re-sets
  • If umbrellas are part of the plan, organise hole drilling before checkout so the layout is built around shade
  • Leave access for cleaning around ends, under benches, and along walls so the area stays presentable all year

Timber care for outdoor use

Hardwood tops are venue-friendly, but they reward basic maintenance. Some timber can discharge tannins or sap early on. When the setting is new, hose the timber down until it has had a chance to bleed out, then allow it to fully dry before oiling.
Protect and freshen the timber with a couple of coats of decking oil, or use a simple mix of 20% linseed oil and 80% turpentine.
As a general rhythm, re-oil twice a year if it lives undercover, once before summer and once before winter.

Need help planning a Melbourne venue setup?

If you want a quick recommendation on sizes, quantities, rooftop or courtyard layout, bar height vs dining zones, castor wheels, umbrella hole drilling, pre-order lead times, or custom sizing, speak with our team, contact us.

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