Would You Eat With Dummies? This Restaurant Is Counting On It

by Shelli Stein

Would you eat at a restaurant filled with life-sized mannequins? Sometimes I ask the strangest questions! One of world’s best restaurants will soon be seating mannequins at tables to make the eatery look busy. Other restaurants are following this creative trend as well. For many, the current pandemic and coronavirus means taking creativity to new heights.

Restaurant owners all over the world must contend with reopening their establishments with restrictions in place. In Ohio one restaurant has installed shower curtains in between tables to help customers feel safe.

In Virginia restrictions include dining room limits of 50% of usual capacity. Virginia restaurant owners are challenged and wonder how to maintain social distancing while still wanting restaurants to appear busy. Appearances are everything, right 🙂

Restaurants Seat Mannequins At Tables

This three-Michelin-star restaurant has a unique, and you might think creepy, solution. Starting from when they reopened on May 29, well-dressed mannequins will be seated at empty tables. You can see for yourself what that will look like.

restaurants seat mannequins at tables

Using mannequins for social distancing

And you may want to dress up when you dine there. According to the restaurant, your dining partner mannequins will be dressed to the nines.

It gets even more theatrical. I laughed when I read that servers will be “attending” to the mannequins. This might include engaging the mannequins in conversation or pouring them drinks.

I love a good sense of humor, especially from restauranteurs who create unique ambiances in their dining rooms. This Virginia restaurant has a cheese specialist with a mooing cow cart. The cart speaks in puns! The dining room dress code simply states, “No wet bikinis.”

Final Thoughts

I am no restauranteur, so I can’t imagine the business challenges they face right now. As they begin to reopen and figure out the best ways for their eateries to survive and prosper, I do think adding humor and creativity is a win-win.

Humor and creativity helps any challenge, really. I would have no problem dining in a room full of dummies 🙂 My only fear is that the mannequins would be better dressed than I am and that when I look over at their plates I don’t think, “Darn, I should have ordered what that dummy ordered!”

What do you think about restaurants that seat mannequins at tables? Creative, creepy, or something else?

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Related Articles

4 comments

Carl WV May 23, 2020 - 11:12 am

The first thought that strikes me is imagining my not noticing there are no other real patrons there until I am seated and committed.

The second is that it will complicate the job of the capacity police,

Reply
Shelli May 23, 2020 - 12:00 pm

Good comment, Carl! Thanks for reading.

Reply
Ed May 23, 2020 - 2:56 pm

They should mix the sounds of muffled conversations and clinking glassware into to piped-in music to complete the illusion.

Reply
Shelli May 23, 2020 - 2:58 pm

Great ideas, Ed! Maybe even sing “happy birthday” to one of the mannequins 🙂 It does seem like a special occasion dining experience.

Reply

Leave a Comment