What is the point of dining outside in a fully-enclosed tent?

[Anonymous]

I have wondered this every year since covid started. I understand people who dine outside. I understand people who dine inside. I don’t understand people who will only dine outside but are ok with sitting in a fully-enclosed tent outside. That has almost the same air flow as inside but without heat or insulation. It doesn’t offer much covid protection. I don’t get it. Have they just not thought it through and are thinking outside is safer but haven’t thought through the logistics, that if you ENCLOSE outside, it’s no longer safer? I don’t get it.

[Anonymous]

It's like a private room. Only your party.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm with you OP.

Some places have individually enclosed tables and that's different of course, since you would only be exposed to the people you chose to dine with.

I think part of what happened was a kind of mission creep, where first restaurants and bars got okayed to do a bunch of outdoor dining in spots that previously weren't zoned for it (streeteries, or expediting sidewalk tables, etc.) and people embraced that, and then the weather turned cold and the businesses looked for ways to keep them viable. Some places kept them open air but were able to make them functional through winter with portable heaters and some wind blocks, but some places got tents, maybe thinking they'd keep flaps open for circulation. But then in reality people don't WANT air circulation in a tent in January so they closed them up. And even though this kid of defeats the purpose in terms of Covid, it does enable a bar or restaurant to greatly expand their seating area, which can help them make more money during busy times if they can fill it up. So what was originally a Covid precaution became something else without people ever officially making the shift in reasoning.

Once vaccines were broadly available I started indoor dining so I really didn't think that hard about any of this -- I'd sit in an enclosed tent at a restaurant but I'd also sit in the dining room, so it doesn't matter to me one way or another. But it is odd to me when someone requests "outdoor" seating, presumably because it's more Covid cautious, only to sit in an enclosed tent with very little air circulation at all. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

OP, how about you tell us about the specific situation that is setting you off rather than generalizing it to an extent that there’s nothing to discuss?

[Anonymous]

OP, you are correct especially if you are talking about those big tents with multiple parties.

The point of outside is not to be enclosed. if it is enclosed, it isn't any safer than inside, i dont think.

[Anonymous]

Smaller than the restaurant, so less exposure to people. Also more air flow. Just guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's like a private room. Only your party.

But freezing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smaller than the restaurant, so less exposure to people. Also more air flow. Just guessing.

From the tents that I've seen I'd say airflow is considerably less than in a proper building with more space and higher ceilings. Those sheds are nonsense. They were built to help the restaurant industry make up for the downfall the pandemic and should be gone by now.
And I love proper outdoor dining, but this is not it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have wondered this every year since covid started. I understand people who dine outside. I understand people who dine inside. I don’t understand people who will only dine outside but are ok with sitting in a fully-enclosed tent outside. That has almost the same air flow as inside but without heat or insulation. It doesn’t offer much covid protection. I don’t get it. Have they just not thought it through and are thinking outside is safer but haven’t thought through the logistics, that if you ENCLOSE outside, it’s no longer safer? I don’t get it.

People are not all smart. There are people still walking around with ill fitting cloth masks or who wear their surgical masks under their chins. At this point, they’re not required anywhere so these are people choosing to “mask” in essentially useless ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Smaller than the restaurant, so less exposure to people. Also more air flow. Just guessing.

From the tents that I've seen I'd say airflow is considerably less than in a proper building with more space and higher ceilings. Those sheds are nonsense. They were built to help the restaurant industry make up for the downfall the pandemic and should be gone by now.
And I love proper outdoor dining, but this is not it.

This. The airflow and filtration is superb in most restaurants by code, and would be far better than in those tents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's like a private room. Only your party.

It's this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's like a private room. Only your party.

This is OP. I’m not talking about small tents that hold only one party. I’m talking about tents where the restaurant has enclosed all of their outside tables (usually a patio) with a tent.

[Anonymous]

Just psychological to help ppl feel like it's more Covid safe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just psychological to help ppl feel like it's more Covid safe

Kind of like gated communities. A false sense of security.

[Anonymous]

The ones I've been in have 3-sided tent/structures (Silver Diner in Rockville and Java Nation by white flint) and 1 side is fully open--that is to say no side at all, it's 3-sided--so fresh air is likely more plentiful than inside the restaurant.