Yahoo Movies Is this the future of dining? Restaurants could feature bubble pods after lockdown
A French designer has created transparent bubble pods for restaurants so that diners can eat safely once lockdown comes to an end.
The plastic cylinders would create a see-through barrier for those sitting at the same tables, helping limit the spread of coronavirus.
Christophe Gernigon, who designed the pods, said they would hang from a cable in a ceiling and would have a cut out section at the back to allow people to sit and stand up without having to bend over.
Gernigon said his design was similar to other products on the market, but added: “I wanted to make it more glamorous, more pretty.”
The pods are set to go into production from next week and Gernigon said there has already been interest from restaurants in France, Belgium, Canada, Japan and Argentina.
Mathieu Manzoni, who owns the H.A.N.D restaurant in Paris, is one of those planning to place an order.
He said: “Will people like it? I can’t say but I want to believe that it can add something because I find it fun.”
Restaurants have been closed since the UK went in to lockdown in March.
However, Boris Johnson told MPs on Wednesday that he hopes they could open sooner than the 4 July date originally set out by the government.
He said: “On hospitality... we are really trying to go as fast as we can. It is really difficult to bring forward hospitality measures in a way that involves social distancing.
“But I am much more optimistic about that than I was. We may be able to do things faster than I previously thought.”
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