Keeping Customers Cool & Compliments Rolling: The Lucy’s Sky Bar Shade Upgrade at Abbey Road
September 16th, 2025
When Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant decided to expand, they envisioned more than just additional seats. Their second-story addition, Lucy’s Sky Bar, needed to deliver a unique outdoor dining experience — one where guests could enjoy the views, the sunset, and fresh air, without battling glare, wind, or stifling afternoon heat. That’s where we at Betterliving Sunrooms & Awnings of Hampton Roads stepped in
The Project: Shade by Design
For Lucy’s Sky Bar, our team installed a state-of-the-art pergola + canopy system paired with motorized solar shades. It’s more than just a structural aesthetic upgrade — it’s about comfort, flexibility, and giving Abbey Road a shading solution that works on their schedule, not the weather’s.
With the push of a button, the canopy can extend or retract to block sun glare or wind as needed
The motorized solar shades can be effortlessly lowered to block sun glare and reduce wind, creating a comfortable dining experience at any time of day.
All components are custom-fitted to match Lucy’s Sky Bar’s vision — fabrics, colors, logo options, etc.
Why Shade Matters: More Than Just Relief from the Sun
From our experience, commercial shade systems like this do more than simply make things more pleasant. Here are the key benefits that Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant — and any business thinking about shade — should know:
1. Enhanced Customer Comfort
Guests stay longer, enjoy their meals and drinks more, return more often when they can relax without being squinted away by sun or chased indoors by wind.
2. Extending Your Season
With shade, wind breaks, and weather-adaptable shading systems, restaurants can extend use of outdoor or semi-outdoor areas well beyond “ideal weather.” Cooler evenings, off-peak months — where shade and protection help make an attractive dining environment.
3. Protecting Interiors
Sunlight fades fabrics, carpets, furniture, décor. By filtering harsh UV rays and minimizing exposure, Lucy’s Sky Bar can keep its finishes looking sharp longer. Less frequent replacement & maintenance needed.
4. Branding & Aesthetic Value
Shade systems now come with hundreds of fabric options; you can custom print logos or business names. It’s not only functional — it’s part of what sets the tone. At Lucy’s Sky Bar, the installation feels like a seamless part of their design.
Why Betterliving is a Smart Choice
Betterliving’s commercial shade line is designed to make it effortless for businesses:
- Retractable awnings, motorized canopies, pergolas, and solar shades – customizable and professionally installed.
- A wide choice of fabrics, colors, and design treatments, including signage or logo integration.
- Durable warranties on frame, fabric, motors — built to stand up to coastal weather and daily use.
- Shade control that works at the touch of a button — comfort when you need it most.
Final Thought
In today’s competitive restaurant environment, offering shade isn’t just a luxury — it’s part of the service. It says, “We care about your comfort.” For Lucy’s Sky Bar, the pergola, canopy, and solar shade system is more than a feature — it’s a value-added investment that helps keep customers coming back, enjoying more, and remembering the ambiance.
If you’re considering upgrades to your outdoor space, we’d love to help. Whether it’s cool relief under the sun, protection from unpredictable weather, or simply creating an inviting space people want to return to — shade done right makes all the difference.
