Observations from abroad: Dual Dining
This is a tale of two restaurants and one public square.
The story goes:
We stayed in this charming seaside town in the south of France. A tiny, sleepy town in comparison to its neighbouring Côte d’Azur tourism giants Nice and Monaco. Not much going on here but visitors and locals alike enjoying long, sunsoaked, carefree days lounging on the beach.
Our first night there, we go off on the hunt for something to eat. While the town is small, it has everything a tourist might need; a convenience store, a bakery, pharmacy, and a few good restaurants. We found a hip tapas and wine bar. Delicious, affordable, friendly staff - perhaps a French cousin to Toronto’s Bar Raval. It was a huge hit! The next day we enjoyed a long lunch that left us without an appetite for a full dinner. Still, we thought “that tapas place from last night was great, let’s go back there for some shared bites.” We retraced our steps, and to our surprise, found a completely different restaurant. Linen-draped dining tables swapped in for yesterday’s casual wooden barrels and stools, a formal three-coursed dinner instead of a selection of tapas on the menu board. We did a double take - are we in the right place? Confused and still peckish, we end up settling for gelato and headed home for the night. The third night, we strolled by again, and this time the tapas restaurant was back, and so was the other more formal restaurant. They were there together…. sharing the patio space.
So, what’s really going on here?
I learned from one of the staff that it is two separately owned and operated restaurants. Let’s refer to them as Restaurant A and Restaurant B. What’s more is that during the day, before either restaurant opens for dinner service, their “patio” is actually a public square with a bench and small water fountain.
On nights when Restaurant A is open but Restaurant B is closed, A takes up the whole patio. Vice-versa for when B is open and A is closed, B takes the whole patio. Then, there are nights when both restaurants are open. As pictured, they split the patio space in half. No matter if both or only one restaurant is open, by the end of the night, all tables are cleared so folks can use the public square during the day. Pulling this off takes some serious communication and trust between the two restaurant teams.
Why does this matter?
This is a prime example of effective and innovative use of public space. Casually going against the grain of our obsession with ownership.
Further, it’s a testament to being human-centred. Yes, these restauranteurs are in the business of feeding people, but they are also in the business of people, period. These guys know their customers. They understand that visitors and locals alike want, nay, NEED diverse dining options. End of the day, people love to have a choice. This simple act of sharing economically benefits both businesses as well as the town, and upholds positive community values such as sharing, communication, and mutual respect.
Key questions:
What are you taking away from this observation from abroad?
What else does this make you think of?
Where else could we apply this type of innovation?
