Michelle Obama Talks Staying Home with Her Family, Behind the Scenes at The Inn at Little Washington, Here's What a $31,000 Dining Table Looks LIke. View Patrick O'Connell, chef at The Inn at Little Washington, poses with mannequins used for distancing diners in the inn's dining room in Washington, Va., May 20, 2020. Town & Country participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The restaurant at The Inn At Little Washington reopens soon in Virginia. "I've always had a thing for mannequins – they never complain about anything, and you can have lots of fun dressing them up," said Patrick O'Connell, chef and owner of The Inn at Little Washington. "When The Inn at Little Washington reached out with the idea to costume mannequins, we thought it was a fun and creative way for them to conform to social distancing guidelines," said Signature Theatre's Managing Director Maggie Boland in a statement. The Inn plans to open for dinner on Friday, May 29. The Inn at Little Washington/Cover Images/Abaca . So the Inn’s chef, Patrick O’Connell, pushed the opening date back to May 29. But the mannequins do fit right into the ethos of a restaurant described by one Eater critic as "a literal destination that remains relevant through its timelessness. The Inn at Little Washington, a three-Michelin-starred luxury restaurant in Rappahannock County, Virginia, had big plans to open up on May 15, but there have been a few bumps along the way. The Inn at Little Washington plans to place mannequins at tables to make the space feel more full. Mannequins act customers in the dining room at The Inn at Little Washington in Washington. View Patrick O'Connell, chef at The Inn at Little Washington, poses with mannequins used for distancing diners in the inn's dining room in Washington, Va., May 20, 2020. Image Credit: AFP. Part of Northam's reopening regulations requires a 50 percent capacity limit in all restaurants, leaving owners to figure out what to do with their empty space. Annie Goldsmith writes about the British Royal Family, pop culture, and style and beauty for Town & Country. "They don't all necessarily need to be real people. Chef Patrick O'Connell is placing mannequins at every other table. Mannequins will be seated among restaurant diners, according to chef of The Inn at Little Washington. The Inn plans to open for dinner on Friday, May 29. Famed -- and creative -- chef Patrick O'Connell at the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va., plans to place mannequins at the tables where he … They don't chatter loudly and incessantly, never berate servers, wouldn't think of sending back a dish or wine. A fancy Virginia restaurant plans to use stylish mannequins to fill up tables. Les mannequins dans la salle du restaurant 3 étoiles The Inn at Little Washington. Patrick O'Connell, chef at The Inn at Little Washington, poses with mannequins in the inn's dining room in Washington. The Inn at Little Washington, a 3-Michelin-starred restaurant that charges $250/person before drinks and tip, is filling their dining room with mannequins to make it feel less lonely when they re-open at reduced capacity. When the Inn at Little Washington can host visitors inside its glamorous, rural Virginia digs, chef Patrick O’Connell plans to seat unused tables with mannequins wearing vintage, 1940s-style outfits. The Inn at Little Washington, a Michelin starred restaurant, will add mannequins to its dining room to maintain social distancing. Les mannequins seront assis parmi les clients du restaurant, selon le chef de The Inn at Little Washington. . The mannequins will be posed as couples dressed in a 1940's style to capture a post-World War II celebration. The Inn at Little Washington is presenting a rather innovative solution to fill their half-empty restaurant: mannequin-laden tables. The Inn at Little Washington accueille, en attendant ses clients, des mannequins. Chef and proprietor Patrick O'Connell, a James Beard award-winner, is conceptualizing these intricate scenes to comply with capacity regulations, implemented in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Patrick O'Connell's Famed Inn at Little Washington, Relais and Chateaux, 5 star, 5 diamond property. "When The Inn at Little Washington reached out with the idea to costume mannequins, we thought it was a fun and creative way for them to conform to social distancing guidelines," said Signature Theatre's Managing Director Maggie Boland in a statement. That’s why the Inn came up with this creative, yet creepy, way to make the space feel less empty, Eater Washington DC reported. She's no dummy: Can you spot human Inn employee Jessie Dawson? Written by Ann Limpert | Published on May 12, 2020 Photograph courtesy of the Inn at Little Washington. To add to the realism, waiters will offer the mannequins beverages from time to time too – including wine. The Inn at Little Washington is getting creative to do two things: keep customers safe and offer a unique dining experience in the midst of a global pandemic. The Inn's mid-century mannequin scenes are one way restaurants are working to comply with new social distancing regulations, as reopening nears. The coronavirus pandemic has forced restaurants to rethink their seating arrangements, as social distancing requires some tables be left empty. For authenticity, Signature Theatre, a Tony-award winning non-profit professional theater company, will help create the scenes and Design Foundry, team of carpenters, painters, designers, fabricators, will facilitate construction. Update, May 27, 2020: Since we wrote about The Inn At Little Washington installing mannequins to pad out its dining room while operating at 50% capacity, it seems like more bars and restaurants by the day are adopting the mannequin strategy, each putting their own unique twist on it. Virginia's The Inn at Little Washington reopened Friday evening with an inventive solution in place. Fortunately for diners, not everything at The Inn at Little Washington is coming up roses. And The Inn At Little Washington, a three-Michelin-starred joint located in the Blue Ridge Mountains about 90 minutes outside Washington, DC, has already started taking reservations. 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