When the pandemic began to take hold, restaurateurs began to scramble, to figure out ways to make their enterprises work. A number of them resorted to increasing their take-out and delivery capacity, while others concentrated on their patio expansions.
One restaurant that never looked back – The Place – has now taken a lemon and made some might tasty lemonade. During the pandemic, co-owner Jay McCarthy decided that it was time to convert part of the parking lot into a makeshift patio space.
Recently, the patio went from makeshift, to permanent.
The transition from a barren asphalt parking lot to a manicured concrete patio surface, with vibrant yellow umbrellas, has proved to be very successful. The change-up has not only improved the image of the restaurant, it’s also been great for business, according to McCarthy.
With a full fledge patio facing Lexington Avenue, and a (smaller) parking lot for cars in the rear (accessible via Ashland Avenue), The Place continues to be the place to be, especially this coming Sunday when Dave “The Waz” Wasik rolls up to entertain the brunch crowd with his smooth keyboard grooves (brunch gets underway at 11am).
The addition of the new permanent patio has gone a long way towards softening the appearance of the restaurant, by creating an aesthetically pleasing outdoor space for customers. It’s also given the owners more room to work with, which equates to a better business model all around. I’d say that this turn of events has proven to be very fruitful for The Place, and the neighborhood.
