Winter Alfresco Dining in NYC — Gotham Cleaners Has You Covered

The year 2020 has been one like no other. So, it would make sense that the holidays would also be unique. It’s difficult to know from week to week what will and what will not be allowed per COVID-19 restrictions, but one thing will always be true concerning the holiday season — it’s a time to gather with friends and family.

A Year Like No Other

This has been a year of figuring out how to do things differently. Now, as the year comes to a close, people are also getting creative with their holiday plans. Rather than large gatherings at home, maybe more intimate get-togethers at outdoor restaurant patios would be safer and an exciting change of pace. Autumn has been unseasonably warm throughout most of the country, extending the outdoor dining season. But one thing is for sure — Old Man Winter will appear eventually, making outdoor dining extra challenging for most people.

Warming Up To A New Way Of Dining 

In New York City, Cory Perlson of Gotham Cleaners has figured out how to extend the outdoor dining season comfortably, even in the harsh winter elements of New York. His company provides warm, cozy blankets to restaurants so their patrons can have a comfortable, enjoyable outdoor dining experience, even in the dead of winter.

Perlson’s blankets have been quite the hit so far, with several New York restaurants giving them a try. The blankets are delivered to the restaurants in sanitary packaging. Each blanket is used by only one customer and then returned to Perlson’s cleaners for professional sanitation, cleaning, and repackaging. Gotham Cleaners has daily pickup and laundry services for quick and efficient turnaround. Perlson adds, “like everybody, we are looking to extend the season as much as possible because we know people prefer to sit outside. We are trying to find this balance of ‘yes, we’re in the middle of COVID-19, but we’re also trying to have some sort of normal restaurant life.’ We are doing what we can to help operators extend outdoor dining while facing the realities of winter in the northeast.”

Supporting The Hospitality Industry

Besides offering luxurious blankets for outdoor dining, Perlson’s business is also an industry-leading full-service dry cleaning company. Gotham Cleaners uses state-of-the-art computerized machinery in its plants and services more than 400 uniform buildings, including well-known real estate management companies such as Brown Harris Stevens and Douglas Elliman. Gotham Cleaners also provides linen services to an array of hotels, including many 5-star properties.

This ‘usual’ business for Perlson has made his company a leader in the industry; however, for Perlson, thinking outside the box during this most unusual year has been most rewarding. It’s no secret that COVID-19 restrictions hurt small businesses and restaurants. But most restaurant owners have been quick to try new things and make dining alfresco a preferred experience for some restaurant-goers. Now that the prime alfresco weather is but a memory, restaurant owners are still testing new concepts, and Perlson’s blankets have hit the mark for some, extending their outdoor dining long past what they ever imagined.

The weather might be getting colder, and the COVID-19 restrictions might be ramping up again, but the spirit of the season is alive and well. Getting together with family and friends this holiday season might be more critical than ever. And for your holiday meal, you might as well support one of those restaurants working hard to make you comfortable while still dining outside. Treat your guests to an alfresco holiday meal as a new tradition in 2020 — Gotham Cleaners has you covered.