Amsterdam’s Greenhouse Dining
The restaurant, Serres Separees, has put a new spin on outside dining in Amsterdam. Diners sit in small greenhouses and are served food on long wooden planks to encourage social distancing. Amsterdam’s Mediamatic arts center, who helped design the greenhouses, mentions that they are “designing and testing new safe hospitality” (Compton, 2020). COVID-19 has forced many restaurants to take an alternative approach to dining and has encouraged collaboration with different organizations that restaurants have not worked with in the past.
Stuffed Capybaras Encourage Social Distancing in Japan
A cafe at the Izu Shaboten Zoo uses stuffed Capybaras to maintain social distancing by seating the animals at tables to prevent customers from sitting too close to one another. The cute animals create a fun atmosphere for families and add a unique element to the cafe! The zoo decided to use the Capybara stuffed animal because there have been several photos of them relaxing in the hot springs (Coffey, 2020). Other places around the world have been using this idea to encourage safe practices. COVID is reshaping the food service industry and the future of hospitality.
Lampshade Dining in France
As France starts to relax some of their restrictions, people are sitting in plastic bubbles in the shape of a lampshade. Restaurants and bars are slowly starting to reopen in France, and ideas like plastic lampshades are being considered throughout the hospitality industry. The owner of the restaurant, H.A.N.D., decided to further investigate the plastic coverings because he wants to add something fun to his restaurant while at the same time, ensure that people remain safe and cautious (Lowe, 2020).
QR Codes Replace Spain’s Restaurant Menus
Restaurants are changing how they use technology and in the near future, we could be seeing more of it. In Tarragona Spain, QR codes are replacing physical menus and robots are replacing restaurant workers. QR code scanners on smartphones have become an important tool in limiting physical contact and in some cases are used for contact tracing. In addition, some Bars in Spain have replaced bartenders with robots who can pour drinks. As this pandemic continues across the globe, we are witnessing new technology and innovational thinking arise.
Sources
Berger, Miriam “Robots, Lampshades and Mannequins: How restaurants around the world are adapting to coronavirus” The Washington Post (June 2020). https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/06/03/world-restaurants-coronavirus-adaptation/
Coffey, Helen “Cafe at Japanese Zoo Uses Cuddly Capybaras to Enforce Social Distancing” Independent (May 2020). https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/japan-cafe-social-distancing-stuffed-capybaras-a9527801.html
Compton, Natalie B. “This restaurant in Amsterdam is Redefining Pandemic Dining with Private ‘greenhouses’ The Washington Post (May 2020). https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/05/08/this-restaurant-amsterdam-is-redefining-pandemic-dining-with-private-greenhouses/
Lowe, Christian “Your Bubble is Ready: plastic pods offer solution for COVID dining” Reuters (May 2020). https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-restaurants/your-bubble-is-ready-plastic-pods-offer-solution-for-covid-dining-idUSKBN22X100