Restaurants Get Creative for Outdoor Dining in Winter

Restaurants in cities such as Denver and Chicago are trying new ways to let people dine outdoors in the winter.

Restaurants have a problem. Eating inside at restaurants can spread COVID-19. Because of this, local governments have placed restrictions on indoor dining. In Denver, Colorado, restaurants cannot allow more than 50 people inside. In Chicago, Illinois, eating inside restaurants is not allowed.

During the summer months, many restaurants relied on using outdoor patios. Denver allowed restaurants to use parking lots and traffic lanes to make more room for outdoor dining. However, average winter temperatures in cities such as Denver and Chicago are around 20 degrees. How can restaurants get people to eat outdoors in weather like that? They are getting creative.

Some are enclosing their sidewalks in tents and using space heaters. Some are placing plastic bubbles around each table. Some are building igloo-like structures called yurts. There are even contests to see who can design the best outdoor dining structure.

What You Can Do Imagine you own a restaurant. What would you do to make sure people could dine safely outdoors at your business during a cold winter?

Photo Credit: McGraw Hill