NEW ORLEANS — As restaurants across Southeast Louisiana get ready to open their outdoor seating this weekend to customers, restaurants without it are getting creative, something Salvo’s Seafood in Belle Chase is used to.
“First, it’s to-go, and now, we’re working on outdoor seating,” manager Amelia Vujnovich said.
The family restaurant wasn’t built with outside seating, so Vujnovich is helping create some with movable tables under nearby trees. It’s a process that started before the stay-at-home order. Now, those tables are a perfect way to welcome back customers.
“We originally started with five, and we’re going to put out a few more and make sure we have the ten feet space between them,” Vujnovich said.
Ten feet between tables is a requirement from the state fire marshal’s office. Other requirements include reducing any existing outdoor capacity to 25 percent, no more than ten people at one table and no gatherings inside the building.
Restaurants with no outdoor seating already, like Salvo’s, can create their own, but all of it is still subject to city and parish restrictions. In Plaquemines Parish, President Kirk Lepine said he welcomes restaurants getting back to the table.
“We’re excited to get open, but we want to do it safely and we want to do it efficiently," Lepine said. “I think they’re ready. I think they’re aware of the situation that they’re in.”
As restaurants are forced to adapt and get a little creative when it comes to the dining experience, one thing does not change. That’s the reason we do it in the first place.
“You want to sit and enjoy someone’s company over a meal, and that’s what we want to get back to, safely,” Vujnovich said.
While table service will not be allowed, Vujnovich said safety measures like masks, distancing and cleaning will still be priorities to protect employees and customers.
“We want to make sure they know we’re doing everything we can,” Vujnovich said.
In a parish where seafood is a big deal, Vujnovich credits customers for helping the restaurant swim against the current.
Here is a list of all the requirements from the fire marshal's office and recommendations from the health department:
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