CLAYTON, MO, (KMOX) - An Italian restaurant in St. Louis says it plans to continue "al fresco" tent dining, even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
"We're already talking about keeping the tent up." Danielle Zavradinos, General Manager of Peno Southern Italian Soul Food in Clayton.
The restaurant squeezed two 20-foot long tents onto its parking lot when indoor dining was restricted under COVID mitigations.
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"The tent, it's been absolutely integral to our operations, and being able to have it up and have a place to seat people when we didn't have the seating available inside," Zavradinos says.
A gap at the bottom and zippered flaps allows for the air flow required by the County health department. The biggest investment was two massive heaters to keep patrons warm.
Zavradinos says it's been well worth it. So worth it, the tent is likely to become a permanent fixture.
"We are only a 32 seat restaurant as it is. We're a very tiny space. We're already talking about considering the tent for future use," Zavradinos says. "It's great for rainy days. It's great for chillier weather. People now are versed in using them, so I don't see it going away anytime soon for us."
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