hospitality practice. “Outdoor ‘dining rooms’ will become much more common, and patrons will experience different levels of service and menus between the indoor and outdoor spaces, where the indoor space is an elevated experience over the outdoor space,” she says. In addition, restaurants are now able to have overflow seating on streets and sidewalks, much like in Europe. Indoor restaurant design will take on new importance. With heightened emphasis on hygiene, designers will be rethinking materials. Stone adds, “The interior space needs to be an interesting experience in and of itself. Material selections will become sleeker as designers will favor less-porous surfaces, less fabric and upholstery, and more emphasis on surfaces that can be cleaned easily and frequently.” She explains that “spacing regulations may ebb and flow over time,” so indoor spaces need to be more flexible—particularly with tables that can be removed or moved. Open kitchens have risen in popularity over the past decade, but now they will gain even more importance by providing transparency. “Guests also want to see how clean the kitchen is, so open kitchens will offer this reassurance. From a materials standpoint, cooking services will be clad in anti-microbial materials and guests will expect this,” Stone says. She also predicts that as consumers continue to embrace the convenience of takeout, ghost kitchens will become more common, preparing food for the restaurant and to-go. “Take-out dining is here to stay, so kitchens need to adapt to providing a combination of both.”
and delivery and employees can be rehired to help with the corresponding demand for offpremises business. “Getting a 6 course meal in a box or bag that you eat in front of the TV is not the experience most chefs want for their diners,” says JZA+D’s Zinder. “At the same time you can’t ignore the financial impact on the business. Initially the dining experience may be more exclusive, like a chef’s table where they can charge more for the unique layout, but home dining boxes and take out I expect will be a part of all food businesses for some time.” For many chefs the on-premises dining experience is still the way to go. “People are desperate to go out, and not getting a table at your favorite place will only stress things more,” Zender says. “For years to come tables will be more spaced out, and lower seat counts will be typical.” A frequent prediction by designers and experts alike is that reservations will come at a premium and menus will be condensed to enhance the on-premises and the takeout experience. In Washington, DC, fine-dining restaurant Seven Reasons implemented both a minimum spend and a time limit for its outdoor patio dining. Its management team announced
Lessons for fine-dining restaurants For fine-dining restaurant operators and chefs, the dining landscape was already changing; COVID-19 has only accelerated the shift to consumers enjoying fine dining at home. With states keeping some restrictions in place, it has become challenging for fine-dining restaurants to operate profitably. In response, the creativity of many of these restaurants has spurred meal kits, family meals and subscription meal services to make the most of the takeout game. Meals can be scheduled for pickup
State and local restrictions restrict capacity but creatively-crafted restaurant spaces endure. Photo by JZA+D.
RESTAURANT C-SUITE 19
