Restaurants rebuild dining scene
Shields, not masks: ‘It’s nice to be able to see a smile’ when ordering
Faced with the effects that coronavirus guidelines would have on the dining experience, Marcello Mauro got creative.
Mauro, co-owner of Nora’s Italian Cuisine at 5780 W. Flamingo Road, commissioned seven dividers to be installed between tables in his restaurant to provide for social distancing. Each divider bears a scene from the restaurant. If, for example, you’re blocked from a view of design elements on the wall, you might see them on the divider right next to your table.
Across the Las Vegas Valley, restaurant owners and their guests are finding ways to cope with the new normal and adapting as dining rooms open and takeout remains in demand.
Some creative thinking while following the rules seems to help: Mauro said he equipped his servers with clear face shields instead of masks.
“It’s nice to be able to see a smile when someone’s taking your order,” he said.
Linda Kutcher, owner of Grape Vine Cafe at 7501 W. Lake Mead Blvd., said some changes have created more labor for the staff.
“The tables aren’t set with anything,” Kutcher said. “We bring it to you. We try to communicate as far as do you need salt and pepper, etc.” Items are used only by one party, she said, and sanitized at night.