Frank Arrotta of Tucson Realty & Trust Co. gives the latest in Tucson retail news. According to a recent Newsbreak Tucson article
Restaurant owners here in Tucson and throughout Pima county are now looking at ways to bullet-proof their operations, should another virus hit or another shutdown occur. While indoor eating has always been an essential part of Tucson restaurants, especially during the hot summer months, new designs are coming out with a focus on outdoor and drive-through services.
According to an interview Tucson Realty and Trust Co. held with Inside Tucson Business, more and more restaurant owners are looking to repurpose their space to maximize outdoor and drive-through options. In a way, they want to convert dine-in restaurants into a fast-casual approach while maximizing the ability to eat food outside or to allow customers to order and pick the food up via a drive-through method.
Frank Arrotta, a retail specialist for Tucson Realty and Trust Co., said restaurants are now looking to dramatically reduce the overall footprint of the physical restaurant and cut down on the inside dining area. Instead, they want to make it possible for customers to drive through and grab their food while on the go.
The article goes on to say that outdoor dining space is as good as gold in the modern world of restaurants. Restaurants with playground equipment or elaborate fountains may begin removing these objects in favor of additional outdoor seating.
All of this will also likely alter the kinds of restaurants popping up in Tucson over the next several years. Instead of expansive sit-down restaurants, which now run the risk of being forced to shut down during any future pandemics, a smaller fast-casual restaurant with drive-through and outside eating options will be what takes up most of the restaurant space.
Tucson just happens to be one of the luckier cities in the country where outdoor seating is a viable option throughout most of the year. That can’t be said for the vast majority of cities in the United States.
Tucson Retail News | Tucson Realty & Trust Co. | Frank Arrotta
