London Bar Follows Covid-19 Social Distancing Guidelines With Mannequins

Mannequins dressed in Victorian clothing could help one U.K. cocktail bar enforce coronavirus social distancing rules for restaurants, pubs and bars reopening after months of lockdown.

Mr. Fogg's in central London is planning to use the dummies to fill tables that can't be occupied by paying punters, due to the strict restaurant guidelines for reopening in the U.K.

Pubs, restaurants and bars in England likely won't be allowed to open until at least 4 July, as the U.K. government gradually relaxes measures implemented to halt the spread of Covid-19.

But these motionless regulars are getting comfortable early.

Inception Group, owner of 11 bars across the British capital, has installed these smartly dressed dummies in the Mayfair location to help enforce social distancing measures, occupying tables and chairs that can't be used.

They're dressed in Victorian attire, in keeping with the bar's theme.

It's an attempt to maintain the bar's "buzzy" atmosphere without leaving empty tables or removing furniture.

"If you'd told me the beginning of the year, I'd be dressing mannequins, I wouldn't have believed you, but I think, it's had a great reaction since people have heard about," says Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group.

"People have been emailing in, saying they want to come and see them and have their photo with them."

Some non-essential retail stores have already opened in England, after almost three months of closure due to virus lockdown measures.

But the U.K.'s hospitality industry likely won't be allowed to open until at least 4 July.

Businesses are struggling to implement the country's strict two-meter (6.5-feet) social distancing rule, while still turning a profit.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered a review of the rule, saying the falling number of coronavirus cases gives the government "more margin for manoeuvre" in easing the guideline.

Gilkes says two meters will mean just 30 guests, in a bar that usually holds up to 120.

"I think anything more than one and a half will be really, really hard for hospitality and won't be viable commercially," he says.

"I think with one and a half meters we've worked out, we'd get about 60 percent of our normal capacity, whereas at two meters, we'd only be 30 percent. And that just wouldn't be economically viable as a business."

Mannequins aren't the only fun-themed measure Gilkes and his colleagues are planning.

At their "House of Botanicals" flower-themed bar, staff and guests may be asked to don beekeeping suits as a PPE option.

"The consumer has naturally been scared by this, quite understandably. So, we need to really reassure them," says Gilkes.

"But we need to do more than ever, give them a reason to get out of their houses and come out for a night out."

Inception Group is also considering more traditional safety measures, including pre-booked tables, temperature checks, hand sanitizer dispensers and a one-way system.

"There's lots of talk about people socializing online in future, I don't buy into that. We are social creatures, and I can't wait to be with friends and family in a buzzy environment again. Being on an app or a Zoom call, in my view, is no replication," says Gilkes.

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