A grill restaurant in Thessaloniki, Greece has got creative during the COVID-19 pandemic by using mannequins as clients to fill the empty tables of restricted dining areas.

"One major obligation we must comply due to pandemic health rules is that we are not allowed to have any clients sitting inside," explains restaurant owner Dimitris Eikosidios.

"Because of the rules, we now operate only with take away or delivery, I decided to fill the empty tables with mannequins as customers. So here we have Jenny, Anastasia and Susanna, they are our customers who keep us company," he adds.

They are also using traffic lights to regulate the flow of take-away customers.

FULL SOUNDBITE TRANSLATIONS:
1. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Dimitris Eikosidios, restaurant owner: "One major obligation we must comply due to pandemic health rules is that we are not allowed to have any clients sitting inside. This is our indoor dining area where our customers under normal conditions, sit and have their launch after we serve them. Because of the rules, we now operate only with take away or delivery, I decided to fill the empty tables with mannequins as customers. So here we have Jenny, Anastasia and Susanna, they are our customers who keep us company. I think it is a very pleasant note in all this sadness and depression, the masks and antiseptics we should use constantly and in being away from each other. These 'girls' are the only ones we can be close to without any fear. They are always smiling, they are beautiful and they set our mood, even for a while, until we overcome this obstacle."

2. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Dimitris Eikosidios, restaurant owner:
"We face a big drop in turnover, there are many food businesses that will not open after the so-called restart and will remain closed. So far the help we have from the state I do not think is good enough to overcome all this."

A grill restaurant in Thessaloniki Greece goes creative in pandemic hiring mannequin dolls as clients to fill the empty tables of restricted dining rooms for COVID-19 precautions and they are also using traffic lights (!) to regulate the flow of take-away customers.

Restaurant owner Dimitris Eikosidios says on-camera (timestamp 01:09 - 02:17)
"One major obligation we must comply due to pandemic health rules is that we are not allowed to have any clients sitting inside. This is our indoor dining area where our customers under normal conditions, sit and have their launch after we serve them. Because of the rules, we now operate only with take away or delivery, I decided to fill the empty tables with mannequins as customers. So here we have Jenny, Anastasia and Susanna, they are our customers who keep us company. I think it is a very pleasant note in all this sadness and depression, the masks and antiseptics we should use constantly and in being away from each other. These "girls" are the only ones we can be close to without any fear. They are always smiling, they are beautiful and they set our mood, even for a while, until we overcome this obstacle."

And he continues (timestamp 02:47-03:06) "We face a big drop in turnover, there are many food businesses that will not open after the so-called restart and will remain closed. So far the help we have from the state I do not think is good enough to overcome all this."

The restaurant has also installed a traffic light at its entrance so that customers can observe the social distancing rules. In order to enter the store, the traffic light must be green. As soon as the person enters, the traffic light turns red, as the cashier serves them. When the transaction is completed and the customer leaves, the traffic light turns green again, in order for the next customer to enter.