SPDINNERECIALSDaytime
A multifunctional market and
community space can help
ensure profitability during off-
peak hours and employ more
people, too.
Small, automated, and
modular food-growing beds
are stacked into long, thin
walls throughout the room.
Such vertical gardens would
allow the restaurant to raise
leafy greens, herbs, and edible
flowers indoors, providing chefs
with a year-round supply of
fresh ingredients to further
reduce costs. Additional
rooftop gardens and apiaries
can further expand urban
farm production. Any surplus
could be put into meal kits or
sold separately.
These hydroponic green“walls” ( 1 ) also serve as lush,
movable room dividers that
can expand or contract seating
areas as needed.
Restaurant/shops like these
will also offer a selection of
cheeses, charcuterie, baked
goods, and other products
from local artisans, either in a
spacious grocery ( 2 ) or via a
pickup window ( 3 ). Rotating
specialties can entice shoppers
at a streetside kiosk ( 4 ). QR code
menus and mobile ordering will
minimize server interaction.
Outside of wait-service hours,
outdoor tables facilitate grab-
and-go dining.
In the back of the dining
area ( 5 ), space can be converted
into a classroom or meeting-style
forum, where wellness, nutrition,
cooking, hospitality—really
anything—could be taught.Nighttime
A host greets diners at an
outdoor station ( 6 ). Just
beyond, low bench seating
and cafe tables surrounded by
greenery provide a peaceful
place to wait and avoid crowd
buildup in front. Attractive
sanitation stations ( 7 ) with
sinks demonstrate an attention
to hygiene. (In this future, the
pandemic has passed, but
restaurants are better prepared
for potential new health issues.)
Inside, with the green walls
rearranged, the layout is now
oriented around a central
show kitchen ( 8 ) that’s tucked
behind sliding glass doors. This
adds a bustling air at quieter
dining times and reassures
guests about the business’s
operating practices. A series offlexible private-dining spaces ( 9 )
surrounds the kitchen, so guests
still feel like part of a communal
experience while having physical
separation. Carts in each dining
nook, which include hand
sanitizer, clean silverware, and
napkins, can be easily rolled up
to tables when they turn over.
A counter spanning the
kitchen accommodates pairs
and solo diners. The periphery
is kept clear for people to
circulate easily. Bathrooms ( 10 )
feature automatic doors and
touch-free fixtures.
Window walls that pivot
out onto the street blur the
boundary between the outdoor
patio seating and the interior.
Ventilation is further assisted
by high-efficiency particulate
mobile air filters that move
around the restaurant.59DINING August 10, 2020
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