Imagine this, the lockdown is lifted and you go to your favourite restaurant to eat your favourite food, but there is no one around. The place is empty, the staff is limited, the ambience is not as before. Unless you are used to dining out alone you'd feel something definitely amiss. But this is bound to become the reality as, despite the ease on lockdown, the social distancing would have to be followed. To ensure that customers, as well as the staffers, don't feel lonely, restaurants are now using mannequins as guests. Cutouts of people are seated in the restaurant chairs in the US and Australia so that the place doesn't feel empty or brings in feelings of loneliness to a person. Maintaining Social Distancing after Lockdown: How to Politely Tell People to Keep Their Distance from You in Public?

The Inn in Washington, a very famous Michelin star restaurant has adopted the idea of putting up mannequins in their seats. While the restrictions are easing out slowly, restaurants can serve the customers in outdoor space. The occupancy now has reduced to half but to ensure it appears full to the customers, they have put up nicely dressed-up dummies. "This would allow plenty of space between real guests and elicit a few smiles and provide some fun photo ops," said the chef Patrick O’Connell in a statement. He added that they are eagerly waiting to see people in their place now. DIY Social Distancing Bar Set up by Neighbours in Quarantine; Is The Idea Completely Right? (Watch Video).

Here's a Pic of Dummies From The Inn, in Virginia, US:

 

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Something similar was seen in Australia's Sydney, where instead of dummies there were cardboard cutouts. A restaurant called Five Dock Dining has kept cardboard cutouts of people to give company to the customers who will come in. Moreover, they also plan to play chatter through the loudspeakers so that it doesn't feel too quiet and lonely. The restaurant has a very large dining space and with the cutouts, they are filling it up. Some tables have just one cut out, so a single guest can sit with the cutout too.

Check Pics of Cutouts in Sydney's Restaurant:

 

 
 
 

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Amsterdam restaurants have adapted a little differently by making "quarantine greenhouses". A vegan restaurant named the Mediamatic ETEN has made wonderful arrangements of glass boxes which can occupy just two people. It is more like a private pod and situated by the waterfront, the view and ambience is taken care of.

Check The Pics Here:

 

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Looks wonderful right? But here, the pods are too close to each other. Nevertheless, restaurants are coping up with the social distancing protocols too well. To deal with the loneliness or maintaining a safe distance, the above examples give a peek into how eating out habits are seeing a change around the world.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 15, 2020 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).