One of the sectors most affected by Covid-19 is the catering industry. The question everyone is asking is, when will we get back to normal? We don’t have the answer yet, but some restaurateurs in the United States are looking for ways to accommodate their customers for lunch while respecting precautions, distancing, and sanitary rules. How? ‘Or’ What? Using old ski gondolas as small private dining rooms that can only accommodate a few people.
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image credit: The Gondola Shop/Facebook
Wendy and Rich Tucciarone run a brewery and restaurant in the cold winter town of Steamboat Springs , a tourist destination. During the summer months, the couple managed to make do by welcoming guests to their patio with respect for social distancing, but they feared for their fate during the colder months, when even the heaters and radiators fail. can not fight against negative temperatures. Fearing the inevitable closure of their business, Wendy and Rich found a solution: A co-worker suggested recycling old ski gondolas . They can be placed outside and, at the same time, provide a safe space for 4 to 6 people.
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image credit: The Gondola Shop/Facebook
The couple, who are passionate about skiing, liked the idea and enlisted the help of a woman who – some time ago – had bought many used gondolas in the hope of converting them into something else. Dominique Bastien is the owner of The Gondola Shop, a small workshop that refurbishes and repairs old cabins. These have become small private rooms: Wendy and Rich have installed three in their patio and the woman maintains that they were real salvation for their business because they allowed them to increase the number of places while respecting distances and sanitary rules. Each cabin can accommodate 4 to 6 people, all belonging to the same household. Once the cabin is evacuated, it remains vacant for about 30 minutes it is cleaned, disinfected, and kept open to allow air to circulate.
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image credit: The Gondola Shop/Facebook
Other restaurateurs also appreciated Bastien’s solution, and she began to receive many requests from restaurants in Cleveland, Washington, San Francisco, and Utah as well. She and her team – consisting of a painter, a welder, a carpenter, and other craftsmen – therefore began to arrange the cabins as quickly as possible. They are not only a functional solution in this sensitive time but also an aesthetically appealing solution that catches the attention of passers-by: ski gondolas certainly offer a different dining experience.
source used: forbes