Tent companies see business boom as restaurants turn to outdoor seating in winter weather

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) — Restaurants in red-zone counties can resume outdoor dining at 25% on Wednesday, and as cold weather settles in, some businesses are rushing to get their patios warm for customers.

We’re set up for that outdoor environment, we’re just finishing up hooking up more heaters,” Roy Solomon, the developer of Green Jeans Farmery, said.

Green Jeans Farmery is a shipping container food hall that has six food and beverage establishments on their property from pizza, burgers, coffee, to ice cream.

“We’ve got some amazing local tenants,” Solomon said.

As winter approaches, Solomon is preparing by hooking up 12 ceiling heaters to keep customers warm. There’s even a large gas fire pit at Green Jeans.

Over at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, they also opened their makeshift outdoor patio with fencing and astroturf flooring.

“We have the ability to move the curtains back and forth so we have airflow, but you can get warmth with our propane tanks,” Jesse Thomason, the general manager of BJ’s restaurant, said.

Thomason hopes with New Mexico stimulus checks coming, more families will dine out.

BJ’s has an outdoor dining area attached to the restaurant, and expanded with additional outdoor seating in a tent on their parking lot because of the pandemic. The man responsible for the tent set-up is Bobby Aragon.

“Our phones were ringing off the hook, everybody’s trying to get their outdoor dining set up,” Aragon, who manages Amazing Jumps, Tents and Events, said.

Before COVID-19, his business mostly did party rentals. Now, they’re focused on helping restaurants.

“It’s sad when we walk into a restaurant and all the employees are excited to see that [they are] not going to have to go back to unemployment. It really feels good to help everybody out,” Aragon said.

But while some restaurants are reopening outdoor dining with the winter weather, others are waiting.

“Today was supposed to be the day that we were supposed to open,” Giovanna Mourning, the owner of Capo’s Italian restaurants, said. “We have been watching the weather, and the weather has been telling us ‘no’ don’t open until this weekend.”

While Capo’s has a large outdoor patio, tables 10 feet apart and numerous heaters, they figured people wouldn’t dine out, so they’re waiting until Friday.

“Come and dine with us. It’s like being on vacation back here. It’s a beautiful setting and our food stands for itself,” Mourning said.

All three restaurants KOAT spoke to are still offering take-out.

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