Outdoor Vestibule Essentials: An Overview of Different Types and Functions

As a business owner, you know that first impressions matter. But how can you make a big impact on local foot traffic without overhauling your building?

Custom vestibules are a practical and inexpensive way to protect your customers from the elements, add additional work or waiting spaces to your facility, and serve as free marketing to passersby.

From winter vestibules for your entryway to versatile sidewalk vestibules, these handy structures can be anything you need them to be from one season to the next.

Outdoor Vestibule

Outdoor vestibules or vestibule enclosures are sheltered spaces that attach to your building. They often serve as temporary winter enclosures for restaurants with outdoor dining areas.

The primary purpose of vestibule enclosures is to create a weather-tight space. They are constructed to endure many weather conditions, keeping visitors safe from the elements and at a comfortable temperature. As such, many businesses opt to use their custom vestibules as seasonal structures, bringing them out only when the conditions call for it.

For example, if you own a restaurant in Minnesota, winter vestibule enclosures provide perfect temporary protection from the cold air in your outdoor seating area. Once hot weather returns, you can take down your temporary winter enclosure fast and let your customers enjoy the additional seating in the sunshine.

Sidewalk Vestibule

Sidewalk vestibules are complete enclosures designed to meet the needs of street-facing businesses and can be creatively repurposed for many different uses.

These versatile structures can be transformed into valet stations, offering a protected space for staff as they provide essential services. The wind protection and warmth provided by a high-quality vestibule installation keep your valet staff comfortable and efficient so they can continue giving your customers seamless service.

If you run an event space with high traffic, a vestibule makes for the ideal ticket booth as they protect employees from rain, sleet, snow, and cold, windy weather. Once your event is over, vestibule storage is as easy as moving your enclosure to a safe spot until you need it again.

Finally, high-quality vestibules aren't just a luxury for big businesses. They offer perfect temporary protection for small pop-up shops, which naturally lack a permanent building to serve their customers. Depending on the materials, cost, and manufacturer, pop-up shop owners can also brand vestibules to give their temporary space a little more "oomph" without paying for additional marketing. 

Entryway Vestibule

An entryway vestibule or entrance enclosure acts as a buffer between the external elements and the building's interior, keeping out cold air, wind, and precipitation.

Temporary winter vestibules are particularly useful in areas-- like Minnesota-- that experience extreme weather conditions from one season to the next to control heating costs.

Every time your business's front door opens in the winter, hot air from inside your building can rush out while the cold wind from outside pours in. Not only does this make customers uncomfortable, but it also causes your heating system to kick on more often to mitigate the fluctuating temperatures.

Winter vestibules act like an "airlock," trapping warm air inside and keeping the cold air out to keep your patrons at a comfortable temperature. When a customer walks in, and the vestibule closes behind them, it blocks off the chill before it can sneak its way through your main door.

Not only is an entrance enclosure a way to keep your customers warm, but the 2020 Minnesota Energy Code for commercial buildings requires vestibules, depending on the type of door.

The rules state that an enclosed vestibule must protect building entryways unless they meet the following exceptions:

• They are in Climate Zones 1 or 2.

• The door is a separate entranceway not designed for public use.

• The door opens into a sleeping area.

• The door opens into a space smaller than 3,000 square feet.

• Revolving doors.

• Doors for vehicles or materials to pass through.

• Doors with air curtains with a velocity of at least 6.56 feet per second and installed according to manufacturer's instructions.

Key Essential: Protect Customers from the Elements

Installing vestibules is an excellent way to provide protection for your employees, reduce energy costs, and serve as an extra bit of advertisement that's impossible to miss.

Perhaps most importantly, though, installing an entrance enclosure or winter vestibule shows your customers that you are prioritizing their comfort and committed to giving them an excellent experience before they even walk through your door.

A large winter vestibule also makes for an excellent waiting area.

In the warmer months, customers likely won't mind waiting on the sidewalk outside of your main door to come inside. Once the winter sets in, though, a long line without cold protection is likely to send even the most bundled-up Minnesotan packing.

By installing an entrance enclosure, customers can wait comfortably in the larger space instead of crowding the main door while still enjoying protection from nasty weather. 

You might think plastic vestibules would provide minimal protection compared to traditional vestibules, but that is not the case.

High-quality, temporary winter vestibule enclosures provide all the wind protection and energy-saving benefits of permanent enclosures without the architectural red tape and exorbitant cost.

Conclusion

Vestibule enclosures, be they sidewalk vestibules or entryway vestibules, are an investment in your business that keeps your customers comfortable and adds plenty of curb appeal so you can make an excellent first impression on everyone who walks by.

Custom vestibules from Canvas Craft consider Minnesota's harsh winter, offering cold protection that ensures your outdoor seating is available all year round. We offer some of the most affordable vestibules on the market, far below the price of traditional construction options, while maintaining our standards for creating a very high-quality product.

We work with premium fabrics proven to withstand Minnesota's extreme seasons, from vinyl-coated polyesters to solution-dyed acrylics.

Don't let cold weather and harsh winters slow your business down. Request an estimate from Canvas Craft today and add another layer of protection to your standard door with winter vestibule enclosures.