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SALT LAKE CITY — Many Utah restaurants expanded their outdoor dining options this year, seeking to reassure customers while also adding capacity and staying in compliance with restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But as chilly weather moves in and makes outdoor dining an unappealing proposition, some restaurants are getting creative to keep the practice — and the extra business that comes with it.
Wasatch Brewery, for instance, announced Tuesday it will offer a unique outdoor dining experience at its Sugar House and Park City locations.
Starting this week, Wasatch diners can reserve a private outdoor "igloo" for their party. The igloos are described as large-scale and can accommodate up to eight people. Wasatch senior marketing manager Maxwell Christen said in an email the company hopes "igloo dining will become a tradition for families who visit us this holiday season and into the winter months."
The igloos are available by reservation only. Specialty blankets are available through Wasatch as an upgraded package, or guests are invited to bring their own. Reservations and package information is available by emailing party@wasatchbeers.com.
Wasatch joins Utah restaurants like Midway's Cafe Galleria and Ruth's Diner, up Emigration Canyon, in creating new outdoor dining options. Ruth's manager Kelli Ricks said adding five "heated greenhouses" to its famous patio has effectively tripled the restaurant's capacity, as the state's distancing restrictions had reduced Ruth's indoor space to eight tables.
"People who have tried it out, they really like it," Ricks said. "A lot of people have opted to sit in the greenhouses, so they're working out really well."
Edgar Aguirre, general manager of Cafe Galleria, said his restaurant's new Alpenglobes "went viral," resulting in huge demand that's now got them booked steadily through mid-January. He said Cafe Galleria, like Ruth's, opted for an outdoor option because its indoor dining room is small.
The restaurant currently has three Alpenglobes — enclosed, transparent heated domes with panoramic views — with five more due by the end of December.
"They're definitely giving us a run for our money to keep up with bookings, and just reservations in general, they're so popular," Aguirre said. He said the restaurant takes a call about the Alpenglobes about every 10 minutes.
Aguirre has seen other restaurants put up tents, or even yurts, to create outdoor seating for the winter.
Utah's restrictions on indoor dining are not as stringent as in states like California or New York. All indoor dining in New York City may be banned again as soon as next week, the New York Times reports. Southern California is entirely under a stay-at-home order, and restaurants can offer only takeout or delivery.
Under Utah's current health guidance, counties that are experiencing "high" levels of transmission — which, currently, is nearly all of them — must space tables at least 6 feet apart, and masks are required for employees and patrons who are not "actively eating or drinking."
The state also recommends, but does not require, that families and individuals dine only with people they live with.
The restrictions may not compare to California's but have still hit Utah restaurants hard. The industry has grappled through the year with a temporary ban on indoor dining, mandates about mask use and table distancing, and now an order barring them from serving alcohol after 10 p.m. Utah Restaurant Association president Melva Sine estimates that 450 Utah restaurants have closed for good this year.
Ricks said Ruth's, at least, is still doing well. "We're just really thankful for the loyalty that our customers have showed us, and for showing their support for all the local restaurants," she said. "I feel like, as a local restaurant, we're kind of all in this together as a community. It's been nice, seeing the support from everybody."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently singled out indoor restaurant dining as a risky activity. "Exposures at nonessential indoor settings and crowded outdoor settings pose a preventable risk to all participants," it wrote in a Dec. 4 report. "Indoor venues, where distancing is not maintained and consistent use of face masks is not possible (e.g., restaurant dining), have been identified as particularly high-risk scenarios."
