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Since the first fears of the pandemic emerged in the U.S. in early March, businesses across the US have endured six months of uncertainty. The initial spring shutdowns delivered a strong punch to establishments such as salons, daycare centers, and tattoo parlors.
According to the Local Economic Impact Report by Yelp.com, as many as 97,966 businesses have permanently shut down during the pandemic.
The restaurant industry is among the most impacted with an increasing number of closures – totaling 32,109 closures as of August 31, with 19,590 of these business closures indicated to be permanent (61%). Breakfast and brunch restaurants, burger joints, sandwich shops, dessert places and Mexican restaurants have been shutting down the most but those that are still alive are struggling, too. In order to survive, they must adapt to new regulations and consumer habits. Some, however, are finding really creative ways to deal with these challenges. Especially, when it comes to outdoor dining. Or is it indoor dining? I don't know. I can't tell the difference anymore.
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Current medical and scientific evidence shows that Covid is spread mainly through respiratory droplets and aerosols that are produced when an infected person exhales. These respiratory droplets and aerosols may remain in the air for long periods of time in indoor spaces, putting other individuals who visit this shared space at risk. Properly worn face coverings help to reduce the spread of these respiratory droplets and aerosols and locating activities outdoors helps to disperse them. Enhancing indoor ventilation and increasing outdoor air exchange in indoor spaces also does the trick, but not as effectively as locating activities outdoors. That's why authorities are forcing dining establishments to change the way they do business.
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Fortunately, there are a number of actions restaurants and bars can take to help lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread. Personal prevention practices (such as handwashing, staying home when sick, and wearing masks) and workplace prevention practices, like environmental cleaning and disinfection, have been proved to prevent the spread of Covid.
But with a rise in active coronavirus cases, establishments that took their services outdoors are also threatened. Last week, for example, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommended that restaurants be closed for outdoor on-site dining. That means that the open-air spaces operators have spent thousands to build are no longer considered safe. As a result, business owners started to lose their temper, asking why are they receiving the short end of the stick when grocery stores and retail shops, and outdoor gyms are allowed to remain open with capacity caps in place.
The new rule took effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and restricts restaurants — along with breweries, wineries, and bars — to takeout and delivery only for the first time since May. It will remain in place for at least three weeks, officials said. Wineries and breweries can continue retail operations.
But let's try to finish off on a high note. Yelp's closure data also shows that demand for home, local and automotive services has remained robust with a far lower rate of closures compared to restaurants and retail. Towing companies, plumbers, and contractors, in particular, have maintained a low rate of closures, with only six to seven out of every thousand businesses closed. Who knows, maybe they will open some cool new restaurants when the pandemic is over.
#6
Gon Freecss 5 years ago
its outdoor dining that is indoors but the outdoors is somewhat indoors :o
#12
Koreatown’s “outdoor dining”
#13
Fulton market outdoor dining
SimplySarcastic40 5 years ago
Our cases didnt go up when restaurants opened back in June. Thats why there are safety protocols in place; limited capacity, masks and gloves for employees, and masks for patrons unless you're eating. They're just trying to keep people employed and not go bankrupt. It can be done safely. If you can fly in a metal tube with ~100 people for 5+ hours, you can sit in a restaurant with 20 for 1 hour. Just saying...
#14
Luther von Wolfen 5 years ago
NYC is one of the top five US cities for homelessness. But there are houses for people who want to go out to eat.
#15
How is this considered outdoor dining?
#16
#17
Winter outdoor dining enclosure, aka indoors, we’ve come full circle
#18
Gon Freecss 5 years ago
at least it's pretty/cute. I would eat there anyways (not during covid though, it looks to small for many people)
#26
Clara Knaub 5 years ago
It’s so pretty! I would totally eat there after/before Covid! Just not during covid.
#30
Douglas Turner 5 years ago
It looks like one of those cheesy moon colony experiments, complete with mystery diseases
#33
#36
The grand solution to the winter indoor dining ban: construct indoor spaces outdoors. This can't possibly reduce the spread of covid...
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What do you think ?
Jonathan 5 years ago
Here in Edinburgh (Scotland) we have a restaurant that has retired ski cable car pods that have been renovated. They were brought over from a resort on the French Alps. They look pretty cool, adhere to all restrictions and guidelines and offer a pretty unique experience. I have an extreme dislike of eating around others so I'm really excited to finally find somewhere my other half and I can dine comfortably, can't wait to go after Christmas and New Year is over. Santa better be good to me this year as they are somewhat expensive! Our Covid vaccinations begin on Tuesday so they might not even be around for much longer though!
lenniee 5 years ago
The restaurants with the separated bubble and dome seating arrangements are actually not bad. It's the lack of social distancing and people cramming together like sardines that creates the problem.
Ashlynn Stephens 5 years ago
Really how hard is it really just to put a few tables and chairs down!?!? JUST DO DAT!!!!!!
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
You can revive the economy. You can't revive the death. What is so complicated about this?
SeidWolf 5 years ago (edited)
A nation that prides itself on capitalism, the general rule is always buyer beware. Unfortunately, while I love watching Darwinism in action, the number of Innocents caught in the crossfire is a tragedy.
Load More Replies...
Saico Hipe 5 years ago
I give the f*ck up on humanity. Pretty sure I'll never be dining indoors again, even after an effective vaccine is available.
SeidWolf 5 years ago (edited)
When you want the answer to what seems to be an inexplicable question I first follow the dollars, then the exploit. In this case, I see businesses desperately stretching the rules to their absolute breaking point so they can make money regardless as to the risk of health. I think the city allows it because they can then fine the restaurants thousands upon thousands for encroachment on city property.
Tim Douglass 5 years ago
This is why law books are millions of pages long. People are really, really good at finding loopholes in any law you write. When they don't care about the purpose of the law they just see how far they can go while sticking with the letter - and you can't get away with something vague like "adequate ventilation" because they'll argue their way around that too.
Sasha Kuleshov 5 years ago
All of these remind me of the time my dad was tired of the city life and decided to connect to nature by living in the forest. He achieved this by building a cabin with all the commodities in the woods, e.g. electricity, WIFI, central heating, etc. He sold the cabin a year later (:
Wonderful 5 years ago
I wonder if the city code compliance people are pulling their hair out right now. My old work we got in trouble for having a planter on our window that stuck out a bit onto the sidewalk and these ppl are building single-wides on the sidewalk looks crazy. I’ll continue ordering food to go til 2022.
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
Almost everyone here sees the foolishness of the pseudo compliant restaurants. Where are all the people who are dining out in them?
Lululoohoo 5 years ago
Ridiculous! It's only considered outdoor dining if you ONLY have a tarp or umbrella or nothing over your head & certainly nothing remotely resembling WALLS. WTF
Ana Vaquer Perez 5 years ago
For the people hating on these, go on and down vote me but listen. The northern states get cold, right? It snows right? Close your eyes and imagine snow falling on you and your food while you eat, how wonderful that sounds! Or maybe you prefer to eat indoors? I dunno but all I’m saying is those bubbles and domes in NY are actually pretty useful and wouldn’t be complaining when the snow/cold comes in your area.
Elaine Mattingly 5 years ago
Go home! You don''t HAVE to eat inside or outside. Quit expecting others to figure a way around an epidemic and solve the problem yourself. Wear a mask, be patient and eat at home! If you want to help the resturant give a donation for no reason at all.
Load More Replies...
Dorothy Cloud 4 years ago
That is just plain awful. I see no benefits to this "eating outside/inside"
Dave P 5 years ago
When govt makes arbitrary rules not based in science but in politicians flexing their power, this is how businesses struggling to survive are getting around it. Remember by the end of this year a full 25% of all resturaunts in NYC will have been shut down for good. They need to do what they need to do to survive.
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
Can't you solve it mathematically by drawing a circle around yourself, and defining yourself to be inside and all the rest outside? Including various building.
SimplySarcastic40 5 years ago
Our cases didnt go up when restaurants opened back in June. Thats why there are safety protocols in place; limited capacity, masks and gloves for employees, and masks for patrons unless you're eating. They're just trying to keep people employed and not go bankrupt. It can be done safely. If you can fly in a metal tube with ~100 people for 5+ hours, you can sit in a restaurant with 20 for 1 hour. Just saying...
Dilly Millandry 5 years ago
Yes but we also now know about aerosol spread - that does have an impact based on numbers of people and time in one location if unventilated.
Load More Replies...
Louloubelle 5 years ago
If we (in America) had just closed down for a longer period, instead of the open/close nonsense, it would have been under control. If masks were a law, it would have been under control. And by now, we would have been out in front of this and the restaurants would probably have been opened. But no - MY RIGHTS! MY RIGHTS!. What utter rot. They're the ones shooting themselves in the foot. And the ones crying and moaning are also the ones not wearing masks or cleaning.
Load More Replies... Jonathan 5 years ago
Here in Edinburgh (Scotland) we have a restaurant that has retired ski cable car pods that have been renovated. They were brought over from a resort on the French Alps. They look pretty cool, adhere to all restrictions and guidelines and offer a pretty unique experience. I have an extreme dislike of eating around others so I'm really excited to finally find somewhere my other half and I can dine comfortably, can't wait to go after Christmas and New Year is over. Santa better be good to me this year as they are somewhat expensive! Our Covid vaccinations begin on Tuesday so they might not even be around for much longer though!
lenniee 5 years ago
The restaurants with the separated bubble and dome seating arrangements are actually not bad. It's the lack of social distancing and people cramming together like sardines that creates the problem.
Ashlynn Stephens 5 years ago
Really how hard is it really just to put a few tables and chairs down!?!? JUST DO DAT!!!!!!
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
You can revive the economy. You can't revive the death. What is so complicated about this?
SeidWolf 5 years ago (edited)
A nation that prides itself on capitalism, the general rule is always buyer beware. Unfortunately, while I love watching Darwinism in action, the number of Innocents caught in the crossfire is a tragedy.
Load More Replies... Saico Hipe 5 years ago
I give the f*ck up on humanity. Pretty sure I'll never be dining indoors again, even after an effective vaccine is available.
SeidWolf 5 years ago (edited)
When you want the answer to what seems to be an inexplicable question I first follow the dollars, then the exploit. In this case, I see businesses desperately stretching the rules to their absolute breaking point so they can make money regardless as to the risk of health. I think the city allows it because they can then fine the restaurants thousands upon thousands for encroachment on city property.
Tim Douglass 5 years ago
This is why law books are millions of pages long. People are really, really good at finding loopholes in any law you write. When they don't care about the purpose of the law they just see how far they can go while sticking with the letter - and you can't get away with something vague like "adequate ventilation" because they'll argue their way around that too.
Sasha Kuleshov 5 years ago
All of these remind me of the time my dad was tired of the city life and decided to connect to nature by living in the forest. He achieved this by building a cabin with all the commodities in the woods, e.g. electricity, WIFI, central heating, etc. He sold the cabin a year later (:
Wonderful 5 years ago
I wonder if the city code compliance people are pulling their hair out right now. My old work we got in trouble for having a planter on our window that stuck out a bit onto the sidewalk and these ppl are building single-wides on the sidewalk looks crazy. I’ll continue ordering food to go til 2022.
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
Almost everyone here sees the foolishness of the pseudo compliant restaurants. Where are all the people who are dining out in them?
Lululoohoo 5 years ago
Ridiculous! It's only considered outdoor dining if you ONLY have a tarp or umbrella or nothing over your head & certainly nothing remotely resembling WALLS. WTF
Ana Vaquer Perez 5 years ago
For the people hating on these, go on and down vote me but listen. The northern states get cold, right? It snows right? Close your eyes and imagine snow falling on you and your food while you eat, how wonderful that sounds! Or maybe you prefer to eat indoors? I dunno but all I’m saying is those bubbles and domes in NY are actually pretty useful and wouldn’t be complaining when the snow/cold comes in your area.
Elaine Mattingly 5 years ago
Go home! You don''t HAVE to eat inside or outside. Quit expecting others to figure a way around an epidemic and solve the problem yourself. Wear a mask, be patient and eat at home! If you want to help the resturant give a donation for no reason at all.
Load More Replies... Dorothy Cloud 4 years ago
That is just plain awful. I see no benefits to this "eating outside/inside"
Dave P 5 years ago
When govt makes arbitrary rules not based in science but in politicians flexing their power, this is how businesses struggling to survive are getting around it. Remember by the end of this year a full 25% of all resturaunts in NYC will have been shut down for good. They need to do what they need to do to survive.
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
Can't you solve it mathematically by drawing a circle around yourself, and defining yourself to be inside and all the rest outside? Including various building.
SimplySarcastic40 5 years ago
Our cases didnt go up when restaurants opened back in June. Thats why there are safety protocols in place; limited capacity, masks and gloves for employees, and masks for patrons unless you're eating. They're just trying to keep people employed and not go bankrupt. It can be done safely. If you can fly in a metal tube with ~100 people for 5+ hours, you can sit in a restaurant with 20 for 1 hour. Just saying...
Dilly Millandry 5 years ago
Yes but we also now know about aerosol spread - that does have an impact based on numbers of people and time in one location if unventilated.
Load More Replies... Louloubelle 5 years ago
If we (in America) had just closed down for a longer period, instead of the open/close nonsense, it would have been under control. If masks were a law, it would have been under control. And by now, we would have been out in front of this and the restaurants would probably have been opened. But no - MY RIGHTS! MY RIGHTS!. What utter rot. They're the ones shooting themselves in the foot. And the ones crying and moaning are also the ones not wearing masks or cleaning.
Load More Replies...
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