Restaurant to seat mannequins at empty tables to make social distancing less awkward

 A highly-rated restaurant says it plans to fill empty tables with mannequins to make social distancing rules less awkward when customers are allowed to return.

The Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, plans to open for dinner on May 29 and it could start welcoming guests for half-capacity outdoor seating as early as Friday when coronavirus restrictions are eased, according to Eater Washington DC.

When the restaurant gets the green light to start serving customers inside its dining room, chef Patrick O’Connell plans to seat empty tables with mannequins, the news outlet reported.

O’Connell says the mannequins will be decked out in vintage, 1940s-style outfits.

The eatery, which features 23 guest rooms, also has plans to capitalize on its 20-acre property by offering picnic lunch-and-garden tours.