BAR TOOLS
STAYING SOCIAL—
Separately Pre-pandemic, Manhattan restaurant queensyard was using trees between individual tables to create a feeling of lushness and nature.
HOW TO PUT UP PARTITIONS WITHOUT TEARING DOWN THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
30
When deciding on barriers, the first thing to consider is whether they’re the best solution for your establishment. “This mainly depends on the types of seating within the establishment. For instance, one client had built-in booths for 75% of their seating. For them it was easiest to look into the dividers between booths so they could utilize those seats,” says David Rader, AIA, senior project manager at Dyer Brown, which offers full architectural and interior design services to bars, restaurants, and entertainment
Bar Business Magazine August/September 2020
venues. “Other clients tend to have mostly loose tables and chairs, which could be shifted to achieve social distancing guidelines and barriers were not required. Although some clients did add barriers between tables where space was tight.” How barriers affect the ambiance of your venue also comes into play. “Who are you, and why do people come to your bar? If it is for the intimate drink and light conversation, then the barrier might be an impediment,” says Joshua Zinder, AIA, managing partner of integrated design barbizmag.com
Photo: Will Stanley, courtesy CetraRuddy.
C
OVID-19 has led to many changes in bars and restaurants, but none are so visible as the physical barriers many owners have put up to enforce social distancing. “Creating distance and separation between guests is one of the most simplest and most effective steps that restaurants and bars can take during the re-entry phase,” says Kana Ahn, senior interior designer at CetraRuddy, an architecture and interior design firm.
BY ASHLEY BRAY
