Top US restaurant uses mannequins to fill seats amid re-opening; serves wine to them

In a bid to enforce social distancing in restaurants, a Virginia restaurateur has devised a new strategy to fill half of his seats, with mannequins. Patrick O’Connell, chef at the Inn at Little Washington, has covered half of his Michelin three-star restaurant with fancy Victorian-style dummies. This comes after the Virginia Governor permitted restaurants to open amid the COVID scare, however they have been allowed to only admit only 50% of their total occupancy. 

The theatrics does not only end there. The waiters have also been asked to serve the old-world mannequins wine much to the amusement of regular customers. 

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“I think it would do people a world of good to reduce their anxiety level when they come out to a place which is still unaffected, because if you watch your television, you think that there isn’t such a place under a bubble," said the Chef to a local news outlet. 

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Meanwhile, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has extended an executive order mandating that some nonessential businesses close until May 15. Currently, the state has activated its Phase One reopening. Earlier this week, the Virginia Governor said the state can begin its Phase One reopening. Phase One allows barbershops and hair salons to reopen as well as limited outdoor seating at bars and restaurants and low-capacity retail shopping. 

Northern Virginia, though, will remain at “Phase Zero” with full restrictions still in place for at least two more weeks after the region petitioned for an exemption.

In Virginia, a total of 891 people have died from the virus, according to data released by the Virginia Department of Health. The total number of cases in the state has reached 25,800 confirmed cases. The US remains the country worst-hit by Covid, with over 80,000 deaths.

(With Agency Inputs; Image Credit- Inn at Little Washington)

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