Alfresco dining: a vital support for restaurants during the pandemic

As the world entered lockdown in March 2020, the only certainty was the unpredictable impact of COVID-19 on everything from daily routines to work and travel.

Restaurants had to swiftly adjust to evolving COVID-19 guidelines to ensure safety while striving for sustainability.

For many travelers, dining is an essential aspect of the experience.

From basic tents to intricate custom outdoor setups, restaurants innovated to enhance the dining experience.

Almost two years on, outdoor dining remains a priority due to the spread of the highly infectious omicron variant, serving as a crucial method for keeping restaurants afloat.

The evolution of outdoor dining

At the onset of the pandemic, restaurants quickly shifted to takeout-only services, finding ways to serve customers amidst the ban on indoor dining.

To adapt, restaurants transformed their outdoor spaces. Some erected tents and sheltered areas, while others extended their dining into the streets, creating plastic igloos and greenhouse-like structures for al fresco meals.

These creative dining solutions proved vital for the survival of many restaurants during this challenging time.

"In the initial two months of the pandemic, our sales plummeted by 85 percent. In the restaurant industry, a 15 percent drop is often a sign of impending closure," shared Raymond Mangune, managing partner of Gerry's Grill in Artesia, California.

According to Mangune, the establishment of an outdoor dining area right outside their Filipino restaurant in Southern California helped reduce their unmanageable overhead costs.

"Our outdoor space has actually made us profitable," he noted.

Despite the advantages, the expansion of outdoor dining hasn't been universally welcomed, with concerns regarding accessibility and compliance with building codes. Nevertheless, for many restaurateurs, the pandemic has reshaped perceptions of these open-air dining environments.

"As people became accustomed to these structures, urban areas have transformed. They're more walkable, reminiscent of European alfresco dining," explained Rodney Salinas, national director for food solutions at Hungry, a national food-tech platform. "Americans typically favor their cars, and the notion of sacrificing parking spaces for dining was almost unthinkable before the pandemic. However, the crisis prompted a shift in mindset, pushing us to find ways to live safely while enjoying our lives."

The outdoor area at Gerry's Grill can accommodate more guests than the indoor seating, which is around 180, and it also enables the venue to host live entertainment.

"Relying solely on takeout will never suffice," Mangune remarked. He emphasized that any establishment with a dining area must create an outdoor space to endure.

In mid-December, Mangune reverted to indoor dining after the city decided to end the temporary outdoor dining arrangements.

The pandemic has imparted valuable lessons to restaurant owners about surviving beyond takeout. "Always be prepared to adapt and consider various strategies to keep your business thriving," he advised.