Today’s Solutions: November 14, 2024

At the beginning of the pandemic, outdoor dining looked like a shamble of folding tables quickly pushed into bike lanes and onto sidewalks. But now, after more than half a year, al-fresco pandemic meals include colorful fences, outdoor heaters, and even, in some cities, dining bubbles. New York City owes some of its most ingenious outdoor dining setups to DB Partners, the city’s first professional streetery-building company. 

When the pandemic started, DB Partners co-owner Arsean Maqami worked in office construction, but as demand in this sector flatlined and outdoor dining skyrocketed, Maqami pivoted to a new realm of construction. As you can imagine, the company is in incredibly high demand. Their projects are subcontracted to NYWAY Contracting and the team has built nearly 20 streeteries so far with more than three dozen in the works.

It takes just one day to build their standard, pre-designed outdoor dining structure, but more and more restaurants are approaching DB for custom jobs. They’ve worked with establishments like Atla in Noho and the Copper Still in the East Village to replicate the ambiance of indoor dining, even in an outdoor setting.

The cost of a streetery ranges from $5,000 to $25,000. A basic wooden structure won’t cost you too much, but for $20,000 you get heating, painting, floors, and lights. Maqami told CityLab that most clients are referred by word of mouth and surprised at how affordable top-notch outdoor dining set up is. The biggest challenge is adjusting construction to keep up with city and state dining regulations. 

Keeping a restaurant alive during the pandemic is no easy feat, but with the help of a professional streetery builder, it’s certainly more feasible. Custom outdoor dining construction is something none of us would have even thought of before the pandemic, but DB Partners is a great solution for helping restaurants stay afloat and keeping residents comfortably fed. 

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Two Black women to serve together in the United States Senate in a historic f...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For the first time in American history, two Black women will serve together in the Senate. Angela Alsobrooks, ...

Read More

Resilient community-building: staying safe in times of uncertainty

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY TEAM Recent global and domestic developments have left many feminists and allies feeling uneasy, uncertain about their place in society, ...

Read More

3 lifestyle hacks to help you become a little happier

There is no one path to finding happiness, but there are some lifestyle changes you can make to become more receptive to happiness. Without ...

Read More

For the first time ever, Greece meets energy demands with 100% renewables

The other week, Greece celebrated an exciting milestone! All of the country’s electricity needs were met by renewable energy for the first time, as ...

Read More