While one restaurant in Germany is making the most out of “social distancing” mandates by having their customers wear overly ridiculous hats made of pool noodles, a fine dining establishment in Virginia is taking another creative approach to the new – albeit temporary – normal.
In response to new mandates allowing restaurants to open only at half capacity, the historic and Michelin-starred Inn at Little Washington said they’ll fill up the other half of their dining room with mannequins dressed in vintage clothing. And the result is both creepy…and kind of awesome.
Owner Patrick O’Connell explained the new set-up is their way of encouraging social distancing while maintaining the appearance of a bustling restaurant and letting diners – the live ones – have a little fun in the process.
“When we needed to solve the problem of social distancing and reducing our restaurant’s occupancy by half, the solution seemed obvious: fill it with interestingly dressed dummies,” O’Connell said. “This would allow plenty of space between real guests and elicit a few smiles and provide some fun photo ops.”
"We’re all craving to gather and see other people right now,” he added. “They don’t all necessarily need to be real people.”
Barring new regulations or setbacks, the restaurant is all set to open on May 29.