Creative Social Distancing at Cafe Rothe in Schwerin, Germany

With phase two underway in several countries, bars and restaurants are finding new and creative ways to continue their business while ensuring social distancing among their patrons. One particularly innovative approach includes the use of hats made with pool noodles.

Patrons of the Cafe Rothe in Schwerin, a city in northern Germany, have gone viral recently due to their amusing hats made from two crossed pool noodles. This quirky hack ensures that the safe distance of 1.5 meters is observed at all times, even when people are sitting together at a table.

The cafe’s owner, Jacqueline Rothe, mentioned that the idea originated on the first day of reopening after the lockdown. During a coverage by the German television channel RTL on the easing of lockdowns, the pool noodle hats became “a funny thing to do at this time,” commented Ms. Rothe.

“It gave many people a big smile on their faces,” she continued, emphasizing that numerous customers enjoyed participating in the fun. Additionally, she expressed that this initiative humorously highlights the challenges faced by the catering industry when more than half of the seating is removed—a pressing issue for everyone involved in bars, restaurants, and cafés.

While social distancing measures are strictly followed at Cafe Rothe and throughout Germany, even without the pool noodles, the amusing hats remain available and are “intended for a funny photo in our café,” Ms. Rothe remarked.

As lockdowns ease globally, the planet is adapting to a new normal.