‘Their hands would go purple’: New York restaurants brace for second winter of outdoor dining
From hot drinks to charming streetside cottages, restaurateurs are hoping to entice diners to Covid-safe winter dining
Before the pandemic, restaurants with outdoor seating were the exception in New York City. Sidewalk permits were prohibitively expensive, harsh winters were impractical, and muggy summers uncomfortable. But the social distancing rules that closed restaurant dining rooms across the country last year to curb the spread of Covid-19 had a devastating impact on the US restaurant and food service industry, which reported $120bn in lost revenue in the first three months of the pandemic alone (the running total is now $280bn).
Outdoor dining emerged as a vital lifeline. To salvage the industry, the New York City government attempted to make it easier for restaurants to seat diners safely outdoors. Mayor Bill de Blasio launched the Open Restaurants initiative in June 2020, which legally permitted roadside dining and simplified the application process. Since then, more than 12,000 restaurants in New York City have been certified for outdoor dining.
Outdoor seating across New York City ranges from a handful of tables in an open-air shed to fully enclosed rooms, vestibules, bubbles and greenhouses. Some are on sidewalks while others are directly on the street, precariously sharing the road with cars and delivery trucks. They might serve a fine-dining tasting menu or a simple sandwich from the corner deli.
But outdoor dining also came with huge challenges for staff. One chef at an upscale Manhattan restaurant (who wanted to remain anonymous) told the Guardian that last winter was almost unworkable. “We had to keep all the doors and windows open in the kitchen to maintain ventilation, but then for a few months our heating went out so it was around five degrees in the kitchen, the chefs’ fingers were all going blue, oils were solidifying – the restaurant offered everyone Uniqlo quilted jackets but they would burst in the heat and so white feathers were constantly flying around the kitchen.”
Things were even worse for the wait staff, who were struggling with fewer customers and fewer tips, but had to remain standing outside without coats to attend to outdoor diners’ needs. “Their hands would go purple, they would come into the kitchen and put them on the plate warmer just to try and get the circulation going again.”
Now, facing a second pandemic winter and the threat of Omicron, a more transmissible variant that is going to make diners think twice about eating indoors, operators are busy winterizing their restaurants. The difference this year, however, is that indoor dining is available, as are vaccines, possibly alleviating the demand for outdoor seating. In light of this, restaurateurs across the city are asking one question: if we build it, will people come?
Investing In Comfort
At Harlem Shake, a burger restaurant with locations in Harlem and Brooklyn, owner Jelena Pasic has been toggling between heating options.“We first used propane heaters, which didn’t work due to the fumes. Then we used gas heaters, which were not allowed under a roof. Now we are using electric heaters, which are safer but weaker and demand more electrical supply,” she says.
Read the full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/18/new-york-coronavirus-winter-outdoor-dining