With the idea that guests may feel lonely eating at a restaurant that can only reach 50% capacity – the maximum mandated by Virginia’s social distancing regulations – the restaurant, Inn at little Washington will be placing mannequins throughout its dining rooms.

“When we needed to solve the problem of social distancing and reducing our restaurant’s occupancy by half, the solution seemed obvious – fill it with interestingly dressed dummies,” Patrick O’Connell, the star chef who heads the restaurant, told a Fox 5 DC, a local news station.“I’ve always had a thing for mannequins – they never complain about anything, and you can have lots of fun dressing them up.”

New ways of fine dining

As states experiment with partial reopening measures, restaurants are having to get creative about ways to encourage social distancing measures without ruining the intimate experience of dining in at a restaurant. Some have installed dividers, like clear shower curtains or plants, to keep distance between guests.

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