LE CLAIRE, Iowa — As the winter months draw nearer, two local businesses are reinventing their outdoor dining spaces to better accommodate customers outside.
Great Revivalist Brew Lab in Geneseo and Mississippi River Distilling Company in Le Claire converted small greenhouses into private outdoor dining spaces.
Rachel Heise, General Manager at Great Revivalist Brew Lab says this move is especially important for the business now as indoor dining is on hold in Illinois' Region Two.
"We just want to keep serving the community here and the surrounding ones as much as we can," Heise says. "We're willing to do whatever we have to do to keep people coming in."
The six private dining spaces are available on a first come, first served basis at Great Revivalist Brew Lab. Or, the spaces can be reserved ahead of time at a cost of $20. Each space can sit either four or six guests and will come with a space heater and electric outlets.
At the Mississippi River Distilling Company, their "cocktail castles" are available by reservation only for a party of up to 10 people. There's no cost to reserve them, but the party is required to meet a $100 bar tab. A space heater will be available, but Owner Ryan Burchett recommends bundling up with blankets and layers of clothing.
"It will probably get chilly at some times in the winter," he says. "It'll be cool when there's snow around, but you can go inside this cocktail castle and be a king or queen for a day."
While there's no mitigation efforts currently in Scott County, Burchett says adding the two cocktail castles will allow for more customers to enjoy a drink. Due to state-mandated capacity restrictions, only six tables are available inside.
"It's a chance to have your own little party room in a unique way, under the stars and on the river," he says.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says there's always a risk to going out, but outdoor dining is safer because of more ventilation, even in spaces like these because it's not airtight like an indoor dining room.