Since the pandemic started, we have seen tons of restaurants transition to outdoor seating in order to reduce the spread of coronavirus. With this transition, it’s easy to be upset or disappointed because it just isn’t the same as it was before. However, I have found that there are a few restaurants that have taken this outdoor opportunity and run with it—making it a wonderful experience.
Let me just start by saying that there are many pros and cons to an outdoor eating experience. The weather plays a huge factor and simply what mood you are in can really impact the experience that you have. But the opportunity that these restaurants have to make your experience amazing is big.
I’m from an extremely small town in California where outdoor seating is very hard to come by. The restaurants are mostly indoor and even the indoor restaurants don’t have an outdoor seating option. But the pandemic really changed a lot in this small town in terms of eateries. One of the best experiences that I’ve had at an outdoor restaurant is at a placed called Tacos and Beer. They bought out a few parking spaces right in front of the restaurant and built a roof to provide some shading. They added a DJ and a bar outside, twinkle lights, and even a live band on weekend evenings. All of these things with the social distanced seating and fresh air added together made the small-town taco and beer eatery feel like a big city experience that is next to impossible to come by with the pandemic.
Now I know these indoor restaurants moving outside isn’t going to last forever, but I think that this transition might last for a little while longer. So, take advantage of it! Go find that super nice outdoor restaurant and experience it before this time is over. This pandemic has taken a lot away from millions of people, but we should be making the most out of our time—while staying safe and practicing social distancing policies, of course.
What’re your thoughts about outdoor restaurants? Do you want to see more of them post-pandemic? Let us know down in the comments.
This article originally published on GREY Journal.
