With indoor dining closures and restrictions, venues of all kinds are setting up temporary outdoor spaces and outdoor dining pods. In the case of Colorado's Mountain Tap Brewery, those pods take the form of repurposed ski gondolas.
Mountain Tap Brewery got its ski gondolas from The Gondola Shop, helping to get around some of the challenges at operating at a reduced capacity. The gondolas are said to "create an intimate, enclosed dining room for each party," and their hard surfaces make them easy to clean, and the windows help with airing out the units.
The Gondola Shop acquired hundreds of old ski gondolas from ski resorts a few years ago and planned to convert them for private indoor spaces. When the pandemic hit, a new opportunity opened up as restaurants needed innovative ways to support outdoor dining.
Dining Gondola Booths
Mountain Tap Brewery Repurposes Gondolas as Outdoor Dining Pods
Trend Themes
1. Outdoor Dining Pods - Restaurants are repurposing outdoor pods for a more intimate and controlled dining experience amidst COVID-19 restrictions.
2. Alternative Dining Spaces - Temporary and creative dining spaces are being explored and embraced in response to indoor dining closures and restrictions.
3. Repurposed Objects - Giving new life to old objects is becoming a trend, especially in industries impacted by the pandemic such as hospitality and tourism.
Industry Implications
1. Hospitality - The hospitality industry can explore innovative repurposing of existing structures and objects, like ski gondolas, to enhance their outdoor dining experiences.
2. Tourism - Tourism industry players could invest in repurposing old structures like gondolas, as the trend of creating alternative outdoor spaces continues to take hold amidst COVID-19 restrictions.
3. Design - Designers and architects can explore the potential of repurposing structures like gondolas to create unique outdoor dining experiences for clients.