Over the course of the last two years, the restaurant industry experienced change after change to stay relevant. Many of these challenges resulted in innovative adaptations, and now, some of those adaptations might be here to stay. Of all the changes we saw during the Covid-19 pandemic, though, the one we most enjoyed was a massive shift toward outdoor dining.
In city after city, outdoor dining spaces were set up on parking lots, in street-side parking spaces, on sidewalks, and even in yards. Diners loved it, and many are clamoring for these spaces to be made permanent in a post-Covid world.
Because they are so wildly popular with diners, they’re also enormously popular with restaurant owners and operators. In cities and towns large and small, there’s overwhelming support to make outdoor dining structures permanent, despite pushback from other business types who cite disapproval for the lack of parking spaces and the additional noise. Municipalities are listening to the restaurants and their customers, though, as cities like New York and San Francisco have already voted in favor of making these street-side dining spaces permanent.
Street-Side Dining Comes with Challenges
If street-side dining is no longer just a temporary fix, restaurant operators will need to look for more permanent service solutions to match the permanence of the outdoor dining spaces they serve. As we’ve discovered over the past few years, there are consistent challenges in maximizing labor and making service easier and more efficient for staff, as food and beverage must now be transported over bigger areas. The days of simply running plates from the window to a table two steps away are over for operators who take advantage of street-side dining.
Challenges don’t just involve bringing food and beverage to the customer, of course. There’s also the issue of bussing away dinnerware, flatware, and glassware after service is over. For operators who invest in equipment to make this process easier, the “new norm” will be easier to deliver and take away, making both customers and staff happy because of increased efficiency.
Lakeside has solutions that can help.
Lakeside is one of the leading manufacturers of bussing stations that are designed for mobility and flexibility, benefits that help when bussing tables in street-side dining settings. Units are made using durable stainless steel and come with various finishes to match the aesthetic of the operation. Learn more about bussing stations from Lakeside by viewing the different options from our bussing station range.