A terrace does several things at once for an eating or drinking establishment. It adds covers, and more covers usually means more revenue. It makes the venue visible from the street, which pulls in passing custom. And it is a point of difference in a crowded market.
That matters more than usual right now. As we have covered in previous articles, the Dutch dining and drinking sector lost outlets through 2023. Against that backdrop, a terrace is one of the few levers an operator controls directly.
This article looks at which segments have the most terraces, which provinces are best equipped, and what tends to appear on a terrace menu.
How Many Dutch Outlets Have a Terrace?
Our Foodservice Database records over 25,000 dining and drinking outlets with an outdoor terrace — 55% of the segment. On that figure alone, the terrace is not an add-on in the Dutch market. It is the majority case.
Terraces by Segment
Social dining restaurants — full service, extensive menu, higher price point — dominate. They account for 40% of all terraces in the sector, and within the segment itself roughly three quarters of outlets have one. No other segment comes close on either measure.
| Segment | Share of terraces |
|---|---|
| Social dining restaurants | 40% |
| Cafés and bars | 15% |
| Snacks and fries | 15% |
| All other segments | 30% |
Share of all Dutch dining and drinking terraces, by segment. Source: Roamler Foodservice Database.
The remaining 30% spreads across fast casual restaurants, lunchrooms and delicatessens, shawarma and kebab outlets, and coffee shops. That spread is the point: a terrace is not the preserve of the sit-down dinner. It works just as well for an informal drink or a snack.
Regional Differences
North Holland has the largest absolute number of terraces, which is unsurprising given the density of outlets there. Penetration tells a different story: only half of its dining and drinking outlets have one, below the 55% national average.
| Province | Outlets with a terrace |
|---|---|
| Gelderland | Almost 60% |
| North Brabant | Almost 60% |
| North Holland | 50% |
| South Holland | Below 50% |
Share of dining and drinking outlets with a terrace, selected provinces, against a national average of 55%.
Gelderland and North Brabant lead on penetration at close to 60%. The pattern inverts the usual urban assumption: the provinces with the most outlets are not the ones where terraces are most standard.
What Is on a Terrace Menu
Menu data collected at these outlets points in one direction. Craft beer is the single most common item, on 39% of terrace menus, with regular beer just behind at 36%.
For a brewer, that ordering is the finding worth acting on: craft is not trailing the mainstream on Dutch terraces, it is ahead of it.
Conclusion
Terraces concentrate in social dining, and they are most standard in Gelderland and North Brabant rather than in the busiest provinces. Beer, craft first, dominates what gets served on them. For a sector that lost outlets through 2023, the terrace remains one of the more direct ways to add covers and revenue — and for brands selling into that sector, it defines where the volume actually sits in summer.
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