Choosing the right bistro furniture depends on what you're trying to sell - for example, if you specialise in fresh coffee, your outdoor furniture will probably be low-slung chairs your customers can relax into.
Ice cream parlours, however, frequently opt for higher stools and poseur tables - giving your customers something to lean on and support the arm holding their ice cream, even if they don't want to sit down.
Despite the unpredictable weather in 2012, it seems many Britons have opted to indulge their love of the cold stuff, even on cooler days when the heavens have opened.
Figures from Mintel show that ice cream sales passed £1 billion in 2011, a £2 million rise from the previous year, and the analyst adds that "nothing can dampen the spirits of the nation's ice cream lovers" in light of the recent weather patterns.
Indeed, if your bistro furniture includes even just a couple of tall tables and stools among its outdoor furniture, you could see an increase in the number of people stopping by to cool off with an ice cream, lolly or sorbet.
Mintel notes that one-person households tend not to buy ice cream by the litre, for fear of tying up their valuable freezer space, but senior food analyst Amy Price adds that single-serving options could prove to be a good way to reach this part of the market.