What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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featured dining guide story Advertorial Feature Dining trends 42 What's up! october 10-16, 2021 By Karen rice | northwest arKansas Democrat-Gazette T he restaurant industry in the United States is slowly getting back to normal after a very rough year that saw more 110,000 eateries close their doors. And Northwest Arkansas restaurants were no exception. Many favorites have been temporarily or permanently forced to close. But thanks to rising vaccination rates and other factors, including assurances from public health officials regarding the safety of dining out, consumers are once again getting comfortable with the idea of going to restaurants. Here in Northwest Arkansas, as restaurants begin catering to larger crowds, certain changes implemented during the pandemic are bound to become permanent or, at the very least, stick around for a little while longer. · Reservations will be necessary. Many restaurants, even those that did not require reservations prior to the pandemic, may encourage them. Some of them are also short staffed and scrambling to hire or re-hire workers who may have been laid off during the crisis. Not only will reservations give them greater control over the volume of patrons they host, but they also afford staff ample time to clean and disinfect tables and other surfaces. · Outdoor dining will remain popular. Outdoor dining filled an important need and gave restaurants an avenue to generate revenue when indoor dining was restricted or prohibited. A May 2021 Morning Consult survey found that diners prefer outdoor dining to indoor dining. With that in mind, restaurants likely will still set aside outdoor areas for diners to eat comfortably, as weather permits, particularly those who were successful in creating attractive and comfortable al fresco offerings. Penguin Ed's in Fayetteville, for example, completely renovated the outdoor patio at their historic location at 230 S. East Avenue during the pandemic. They upped their outdoor dining game, complete with clear sidewalls and heaters, much to the delight of their loyal patrons. · More restaurants will offer takeout options. Even though on-premise dining had started to catch up to takeout orders for many restaurants by the spring of 2021, takeout figures to stick around to satisfy safety-minded customers who still desire curbside convenience. Businesses like Richard's Meat Market in Fayetteville, who began offering curbside pick-up during the pandemic, found that their customers liked the time-saving option.