Photo: Cafe & Konditorei Rothe/Facebook

German Cafe Reopens but Makes Customers Wear Pool Noodles on Their Heads

Restaurants + Bars News
by Dayana Aleksandrova May 15, 2020

While the pandemic has been devastating for many food and drink establishments, owners have demonstrated admirable creativity in their efforts to uphold the government-mandated social distancing guidelines.

Café Rothe in Schwerin, northern Germany, is one such establishment. As Germany slowly reopens, the cafe is asking all customers to wear pool-noodle hats, which effectively separates them from each other while they sip espresso on the sunlit patio. The multi-colored styrofoam noodles attached to beige beach hats stretch in three directions, providing a figurative personal bubble.

“In these difficult times it’s a pleasure to make others smile,” Jacqueline Rothe, Café Rothe’s owner, told the New York Post. She noted the positive reactions of her customers, who don’t mind running the risk of looking silly or committing what some may consider a crime against fashion.

Germany began easing restrictions in late April, allowing spaces under 8,600 square feet to go back into business provided that they uphold the social distancing measures that will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Around the world, business owners are coming up with innovative ideas for adapting to the post-pandemic reality. Some of these include glass booths to help maintain distance between diners and face masks that allow you to sip on cocktails.

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