The Grim Return of Outdoor Winter Dining

Imagine what it would be like to time-travel from 2019 to now. If you were just strolling down a city street, and not talking to anyone, would you even know that we’re in a pandemic? Sidewalks are no longer deserted, most pedestrians have stopped wearing masks outside, and cardboard signs praising essential workers have been thrown into the recycling bin. But there’s still one big tip-off that things are a little fishy: all those outdoor-dining setups.

The tables and chairs on sidewalks and in parking spaces have been ubiquitous since the phase of COVID-19. You can find sheds and greenhouses and bubbles and yurts and igloos and sidewalk tables and repurposed railcars and in major cities such as Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, and in far smaller ones like Covington, Kentucky; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Jamestown, North Dakota. New York City bars and restaurants with pandemic outdoor seating.