FORK IN THE ROAD
Outside seating helped restaurants in warm weather but what’s next?
Summer wasn’t quite over yet, but as the sun started to set and the temperature started to drop into the 50s on a recent chilly evening, customers were sitting outside and enjoying a meal at Tavern on Penn in West Lawn.
The restaurant along Penn Avenue had outdoor seating before the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year.
However, with restrictions on the number of customers inside, restaurants in Berks County and around the state have found that creating additional seating on the outside of the building as a solution to halt, or at least bolster, sagging bottom lines.
For restaurant owners who already had to deal with narrow profit margins during good times, there’s a question of longterm survival.
Some restaurants that already had patios or decks around their buildings added more seats while keeping social distancing. Others have to be more creative, such as utilizing tents, parking lots and side streets.
And some restaurant owners plan to keep outside seating options through the winter.
‘A hard run’
Still, like many aspects of life during the pandemic, the fluidity of the situation — especially with regulations — has been painful.
“We were hoping by the end of the fall that restrictions would be lifted,” said Travis Mosser, coowner of Tavern on Penn. “But we are working in limbo. No tents yet, but we’re looking into that. We’re getting into the fall and nothing has changed.”
Tavern on Penn has been fortunate in that it doesn’t depend on beer and liquor sales as much as other places. Current regulations have closed bar service.
“Overall, it’s been a hard run,” Mosser said. “We’re very food-oriented and we’re fortunate to have that reputation. With curbside and alcohol to-go orders it has been manageable and has carried us through. It has been tough. Indoor service has a major impact and it’s week-to-week.”
Mark DiGiovanni, from Austin’s and Coastal Grille, both in Spring Township, said both locations have added tents in the restaurants’ parking lots and expect to utilize them through the colder months.
“We added tents and we’re
adding heaters to add to the time frame such as fall and the early winter,” DiGiovanni said. “We’ll add tents and sides to extend the season. We’ll get fulltime side heaters which are made for tents in the winter. There are no propane takes and the heaters are outside. The diffuser goes underneath the tent and the heat circulates.”
DiGiovanni said the tents can accommodate 12 tables with four seats apiece to maintain social distancing. He said at 50% capacity the interior can fit 24 tables.
‘Innovative ways’
Vanessa Sink, directory of media relations from the National Restaurant Association, said the organization’s membership has found creative ways to keep customers coming in during the pandemic, so putting tents and heaters to use isn’t a surprise.
“They have been finding innovative ways to pivot their operations to stay open under the new regulations,” she said. “Many of them have turned that creativity toward finding the tools needed to safely and comfortably continue to offer some form of outdoor dining as the weather changes.”
Ben Fileccia, director of operations and strategy for the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, said restaurants will not thrive but will survive if they can keep serving dinein guests.
He said the organization has been looking at dining outside during the winter and extending outdoor seating permits when they expire in the coming months.
“To save all the restaurants, they will have to think outside the box,” Fileccia said. “I was on a Philadelphia task force that talked to groups in the great white north, Chicago and Toronto, to see how they do outdoor seating in cold weather; whether they use gas heaters, one-time use blankets, pods that look like igloos. The expense is substantial, but this terrible pandemic isn’t just going to disappear. We have to talk to local municipalities about closing streets and sidewalk use permits.”
All options on table
Besides using all-weather tents, Filecca said some members were thinking of fire pits, which have been used for years at ski resorts.
“You want to give them as many options as possible,” he said.
He also said the PRLA will continue to advocate for state House Bill 2513, which would bring restaurants back to standards that were in place before July 15, eliminate the mandatory 11 p.m. last call, eliminate the requirement that a meal must be purchased to get an alcoholic beverage and take away the self-certification requirement.
Another part of the bill will ease restrictions on holiday parties and dinners, which are limited to 25 including wait staff.
“Many restaurants in the winter host private parties and reducing those to 25 will crush them,” Fileccia said.
Meanwhile, Tavern on Penn’s Mosser is still considering his options for the upcoming months.
“We have six tables outside on the front door patio,” he said. “We may buy commercial grade space heaters. We’ll extend it as long as we can. Historically, we have served outside until November, but we want to get more out of it.”
Mosser said he has no problems with Spring Township permits, saying “everything is smooth” and he has just received permission to add more outside tables.
“We’ll run outside as long as we can,” Mosser said.
PRLA’s Fileccia said his organization was already inquiring about utilizing outdoor heaters are early as July.
“As we’ve seen in the past six months restaurants have been through super crazy times,” Fileccia said. “They’ve been punched and pummeled again with varying guidance, sometimes with six hours notice. You have to think about new things.
“It’s about planning ahead and asking what’s needed. It’s a challenge for owners.”