Are outside eating spaces a viable option on the streets of Britain’s busiest cities? That’s the question Ben Masterton-Smith is trying to answer with his newly designed al-fresco dining spaces for London’s Soho restaurant scene.
With the Government’s relaxations on social distancing set to take effect on the 4th of July, pubs and restaurant around the country will be setting up for a dive back into the deep end.
There’s no doubt that the public will be eager to get back to their favourite pubs and dining spaces but the continued enforcement of 1m+ social distancing rules put a slight dampener on proceedings. Businesses will need to operate at a reduced capacity inside their premises to maintain social distancing, meaning they not only lose out on business, but also that sense of community and buzz that many independent establishments rely on.
The solution? Ben Masterton-Smith, founder of Architecture firm Transit Studio, suggests road closures in key areas to accommodate for outdoor dining.
Using Soho as an easy and illustrative example, he highlights how outdoor spaces could be used to create a favourable environment for customers and business owners alike; customers still get to visit their favourite spots, business owners get to operate at a higher capacity.
In theory, this should lead to higher job retention and increased revenues for the sector, bolstering it for the inevitable recession in the wake of the pandemic.
Masterton-Smith goes on to talk about the continuation of this practice even after social-distancing measures are abolished. He keenly points out the ludicrously of car ownership in dense urban environments and the environmental benefits of increased pedestrianisation in cities.
Undoubtedly there are a number of logistical problems to be taken into consideration: suppliers still need to get to businesses, as do employees and customers. While this may limit the geographical range of a customers, it may also bring in more people from the more local vicinity, therefore fostering a more genuine sense of community around these hospitality businesses and areas.
Furthermore, limiting large delivery access to these businesses may force them to be canny – and more importantly, local – with their ingredients and products. This is all in-line with the post-COVID-19 rhetoric of countries and cities becoming more self-sufficient and productive, rather than relying on vast and fragile supply chains.
Maybe soon we’ll all being dining al-fresco regularly, looking across high streets once adorned with cars but now dotted with tables and chairs, people and pop-up bars. Personally, I don’t like much like the sound of this on a typical day in England during November.
Rather than parking one four-wheel drive on the street in Soho, you can have about 10 covers for a restaurant, so I would hope that over time there is a growth in a mindset of why we are parking outside a restaurant in the first place
