We never thought we’d find ourselves normalizing outdoor dining in January. Just like all of you, we’d much rather talk about restaurant openings, kitchen innovations, and New York City’s glorious sit-down dining scene—but alas, those topics aren’t on the menu just yet.
Our goal is to assist the restaurant industry in any way we can—afterall, it’s an industry and a family that we’re proud to call our own! In that spirit, we want to talk about some of the outdoor dining efforts restaurants and eateries have deployed to give customers a warm and cozy place to enjoy a meal outside of their home.
What Wintertime Outdoor Dining Looks Like
When state officials reintroduced a ban on indoor dining in December, many restaurants were only beginning to get used to the reduced capacity mandate implemented in the fall. With those plans dashed, everyone shifted their focus to determining what outdoor dining looks like during a New York City winter.
What we found was just as diverse as the city itself. Some restaurants kept it simple with propane or electric heaters, while others built impressive sidewalk structures or constructed “dining pods” meant to accommodate individual parties. For this article, we wanted to take a closer look at what three Sam Tell clients were able to accomplish in the push to ride out the winter while keeping revenue losses to an absolute minimum.
American Brass
Long Island City’s American Brass on the Water, a brasserie at 2-01 50th Ave., erected 22 “greenhouses” along the sidewalk on Center Boulevard. Each of these dining structures can accommodate up to six customers and are all made toasty by an indoor-safe propane heater and completely enclosed with hinged doors. The socially distanced dining at American Brass goes the extra mile, allowing customers to use a QR code to place their order. Meanwhile, the greenhouses are thoroughly disinfected with an electrostatic sprayer before and after reservations occur.
Pier 17
Pier 17 brings the Upstate to the Downtown with The Greens, a socially distant outdoor concept featuring dining cabins that can house parties of anywhere from two to 10. Each cabin is spacious with a heated floor plan, contactless ordering, comfy banquette seating, air purifier, virtual fireplace, winter cabin décor, and floor-to-ceiling views of NYC. Pier 17 created special food and cocktail menus meant to match an outdoor dining experience. What’s more, all reservation fee contributions in January will be donated to ROAR NY x Robin Hood to support their efforts to bring relief to restaurant workers suffering financial hardships.
Court Street Tavern
Located in one of Brooklyn’s most storied bars, Court Street Tavern is a local neighborhood restaurant in Carroll Gardens that was ready to embrace the winter elements before cold-weather outdoor dining became the norm. A section of the outdoor area is converted to an ice skating rink every winter—and it’s matched with a winter menu that focuses on a range of classic cold weather snacks and starters meant to warm eaters from the inside out. And though it’s called an “ice” rink, the restaurant actually uses a surface called “Glice USA ice,” made with polymer panels that simulate the glide and feel of real ice.
Crown Shy
Seasonal fine dining in Downtown NYC has a home at Crown Shy, while customers who still want to eat out even in the wintertime have a home at Shy Village, a small collection of heated yurts meant to bring some comfort and whimsy to the dining scene. Restaurant owners worked with the city to temporarily close Pine Street between Pearl and William to offer 10 yurts where diners can eat through the winter months. Each tent ranges in size to accommodate quarantine pods between two and six people. Yurt diners are offered an exclusive prix fixe menu in order to streamline service and minimize interaction between them and staff.
What’s Next For The Restaurant Industry?
We’re just as eager as you are to move on from all this talk about outdoor dining and hardship—but until that happens, we’ll be here to share stories with you of outdoor success in the restaurant scene. In the coming weeks, we hope to share new ways we can all support our local eateries, along with more insights into the industry and how to expand and grow your customer base, regardless of where your customers are enjoying their meals!
