A Colorado couple is using old school ski gondolas to help save their craft brewery and restaurant during COVID-19.
Wendy and Rich Tucciarone own a craft brewery and restaurant in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
However, like many others, the fate of their business looked bleak, thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
In the summertime, it’s easy for guests to spread out on the Mountain Tap Brewery‘s huge outdoor patio, however, winter is a different story.
Even with heaters and firepits, sitting outside in a mountain resort isn’t all that appealing.
But that didn’t stop Wendy and Rich. They got creative, and thanks to a suggestion from their accountaint, jumped of the idea of private dining rooms in the form of out-of-service ski gonolas.
That’s where the universe helped them out; as old ski gondolas are surprisingly hard to come by. Even in Steamboat.
Luckily for the couple, another restaurant owner on the other side of the country had a few going spare. It turns out she had bought on a whim, in the hope of upcycling them.
The Tucciarone’s have kitted out the gondolas and the customers are loving them!
Each gondola can typically hold between four and six adults who, in theory, are all members of the same household or pandemic pod.
The restaurant is blocking off 20 to 30 minutes between seatings to sanitise, clean, and air out the gondolas in between diners.
Pretty cute, don’t you think?
Social distanced dining
As the demand for social-distanced dining continues, the world has seen many other inniovative private dining rooms popping up.
Yurts, igloos, tents, gondolas and greenhouses are all allowing restaurants to expand their seating in a COVID-safe way.
One of the most popular trends over in London – even before the pandemic, is an outdoor igloo dining experience, first triumphed by the creative team at Coppa Club in London Bridge.
The beautiful igloos are usually booked out within minutes of bookings going live, leading to a whole bunch of other London bars and restaurants jumping on the igloo hype.
What form of COVID-safe restaurant dining would you like to see next?
Let us know, email editor@karryon.com.au
