Larry and Christine Colao, of Pittsburgh, Pa., , are visiting their daughter Sam Bahr, of Germantown, Pa., , and her girlfriend Jasmine Jones, , enjoying some drinks out in the Beer Garden at Attic Brewery in Philadelphia, Pa., on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.cool down with ice-cold margaritas during a heat wave, the kitchen staff endure 100-degree temperatures while standing over deep fryers, griddles, and boiling pots. Their reprieve often comes from stepping outside with a Gatorade.
This is the reality for Philadelphia-area restaurant, bar, and outdoor venue owners during this summer’s heat waves. Last month wasOwners tell The Inquirer that the nonstop weeks of heat since June have resulted in less revenue, shorter shifts and work hours for staff, and patios, rooftops, and outdoor beer gardens going unused. In extreme cases, like The Cordova’s, whole days of revenue are lost due to closing entirely.
“When you’re cozy in your air-conditioning at home, it can be a bit harder to get people to go outside because you walk out the front door and get hit with a blast of hot air,” Lacy said. “Center City SIPS usually sees a really high volume of people, and since it’s been hot the past two Wednesdays, we have been a tad less busy,” Rosenberg said. “People probably aren’t as willing to come out and bear the heat knowing a venue’s outside, but we do take that into consideration.”
Garrity said this is the first summer that FCM has had to fully close locations for the day when temperatures reach 100 degrees or more with high humidity and no breeze. The consensus among outdoor venue owners is that Mother Nature’s scorching heat is simply out of their control, but this summer is having some owners think about the future of the business if June and July’s heat becomes the “new normal” for summer.