How To Arrange [Outdoor] Seating During Covid-19 / by H

Photo by author

Photo by author

When there are seasons with mild temperatures, it is always good for outdoor. During the spring, gusts could enjoy spring blossom. During the fall, guests can enjoy the autumn leaf peeping while dining outdoors. It is also a safer way to enjoy your dining experience during pandemic.

As more and more neighborhoods open to the idea having outdoor dining, I would like to demonstrate a few simple tips to make your outdoor seating a healthier place.

Photos by author.

Photos by author.

See the photo above, can you tell which seating has a better layout?

The correct answer is the tables on the right. I will explain in the diagram below.

Existing outdoor seating diagram. Image by author.

Existing outdoor seating diagram. Image by author.

Revised outdoor seating diagram. Image by author.

Revised outdoor seating diagram. Image by author.

Existing Layout

The main concern of outdoor dining is still avoiding the crowds and human traffic jams.

  • The two tables on the left, created too tight a space between them.

  • Second is that those guests (yellow marked) would be facing major foot traffic. This is assuming people passing on the sidewalk will be less jammed together. Because:1- the path is wider. 2- there would be less serving and less people in and out.

  • The guests at the right tables would feel safer because there is less direct interaction among them from incoming foot traffic.

Revised Layout

And the image (right) is my simple suggestion to mitigate this issue. With this layout:

  • All the guests are facing away from the incoming foot traffic.

  • There would also a concern of business owners to accommodate more guests than in the original scheme. Therefore, to make up for the loss of the one picnic table, I recommend putting a 30”-36” round table to accommodate guests. 

  • You can also put a planter (which functions as a shield) to separate the dining guests and sidewalk pedestrians.

Photo by author

Photo by author

Here is another example for how we can create an easy solution:

As you can tell, the existing layout had a few problems:

  • The picnic tables at both the deck and sidewalk created a tight space (where yellow arrows at) for both servers and guests to maneuver. It covers too much of a circulation path and would be hard to keep social distancing.

  • All the dining guests (adjacent to the circulation path) are facing directly into the incoming foot traffic.

  • The two doors do not identify an “in-out direction”, which could leave to confusion over the proper way to safely enter and exit the establishment.

  • Sometime doors are closed. This also increases the chance for people touching the doorknobs.

Existing layout (left) Revised layout (right), image by author.

Existing layout (left) Revised layout (right), image by author.

With the revised layout, these problems would be solved using the same furniture.

  • There are no tight spaces around the seating anymore.

  • All the guests (near the circulation path) would be able to face away from incoming foot traffic.

  • With only one added plant to block the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk, this defines a clear circulation path for guest to avoid possible interactions, and keep proper distance.

  • With clear signage of the exit/entrance, it is easy to keep one-way foot traffic.

  • By leaving the door open most the time, it decrease the chance for guests touching doorknobs. This action also increases indoor air flow.

Last, this restaurant reuses the original façade, which gives us the opportunity to do contactless serving if we tweak the layout as in image:

08.jpg

By the way…

  • Picture on the right shows the counter-clock airflow when you want to push cold air down. While there is warm conditioned air, ensure to turn the fan clockwise to push the warmer air downwards, as picture shown on the left.

Photos by author.

Photos by author.