Customers were lining up to enjoy dinner beneath the large canopy-style tent that was erected in the restaurant's parking lot, which allowed seating for up to 44 people.
"It's still about 15 less than what we could have had before (at full capacity)," said Lee Schermerhorn, who manages the restaurant for her parents, owners Dennis and Lorri Schermerhorn.
Shorty's, along with a dozen other local bars and restaurants, was granted a temporary expansion permit by the city council May 27 to begin offering outdoor dining. Eating establishments that already have a patio or other designated outdoor dining area were also allowed to begin serving customers — by reservation only — beginning Monday, June 1.
Still, Schermerhorn added, the ability to add outdoor dining to their curbside and takeout offerings was much-needed — and a big hit with their clientele.
"It's fantastic," said Floyd Lake resident Sandy Kortan, who was attracted to the restaurant's comfortable-looking outdoor setup and decided to enjoy a little lunch after finishing up her physical therapy appointment in town. "It's just so inviting.
These signs placed immediately outside the tent at Shorty's Corner Cafe in Detroit Lakes warned customers of social distancing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Vicki Gerdes / Tribune)
"I wouldn't be wanting to eat inside anywhere, but when I saw that this was set up so well outside, with (social) distancing and fresh air all around, I impulsively stopped in the middle of running errands for some lunch. It feels really great."
Kortan, who normally teaches arts and crafts classes at the senior center during the summer months, says that she has been missing not just her students, but the opportunity to socialize.
"It's just nice to be out among people," she added.
"It's nice to be able to dine out again," said Shelly Kepler, another local resident who was among the lunch crowd at Shorty's Monday. "Sure, we've been able to sit at home and order something (for pickup), but this is so much nicer."
Schermerhorn said that the large tent was donated by Frazee resident Tyler King, and Shorty's probably wouldn't have been able to offer this option to their customers without it.
"I can't even begin to express how big a relief it is," Schermerhorn continued. "We had to have this."
Schermerhorn added that being able to add on-site dining for the first time in over two months was "make or break for us." Though they aren't able to serve quite as many customers with the state's pandemic-related social distancing guidelines in place, being able to offer the option was "100% better (than just curbside and takeout)."
Jen Tappe, who was one of two servers Monday, said, "It's been going really, really well so far."
Shorty's hours
Shorty's will be open for outdoor dining from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on most weekdays, except on Wednesdays, burger night, when they will extend their hours to 7 p.m. Call 218-844-3200 for reservations or takeout orders.
Those who would like to make a reservation at their favorite restaurant should call ahead to make sure they have outdoor dining facilities available. All indoor dining remains closed statewide under Walz's emergency orders, established to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"cafe" - Google News
June 02, 2020 at 04:00AM
https://ift.tt/36OTDaW
Shorty's cafe busy on first day of outdoor dining in Detroit Lakes - Detroit Lakes Tribune
"cafe" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2FkbMR3
https://ift.tt/3c4yPxW
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25244079/4.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment