Have you become a fan of pandemic-forced outdoor dining? Good news from New Jersey hospitality industry leaders — it's not going away.

"Outdoor dining is here to stay," said Curtis J. Bashaw, co-founder and co-managing partner of Cape Advisors and Cape Resorts Group, whose restaurant and hotel holdings include historic Congress Hall in Cape May.

Bashaw was speaking at an "Innovate South Jersey: Gaming and Hospitality" webinar offered Wednesday by the Chamber of Commerce, Southern New Jersey. Other speakers — Steve Callender, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey and regional president of Caesars Entertainment and Marilou Halvorsen, president and CEO of the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association — agreed with Bashaw.

"Next summer there will be more outdoor dining than there has been in the past," predicted Callender, who oversees an Atlantic City casino group that includes the Tropicana, Caesars and Harrah's Resort.

In Atlantic City, diners seemed to enjoy outdoor meals despite some scorching days this summer, he said. The longtime casino executive said some casinos weren't equipped to easily provide outdoor dining and turned space in parking garages, on rooftops and even swimming pools into ad hoc restaurants for diners.

Added Halvorsen on dining outside: "It's going to be part of the way of life."

But as autumn drives temperatures down, more diners are moving inside. Halvorsen said Gov. Phil Murphy must act soon to permit 50% capacity inside rather than the 25% now allowed. She said restaurants are looking for guidance and trying to plan how long to keep tents up and whether to rent heaters to keep diners warm.

"Twenty-five percent is really not enough," Halvorsen said. "People are coming back inside and they're not getting sick."

The industry leaders said they've seen changes in consumer behavior due to COVID-19, with creative responses from restaurants and hotels.

Bashaw said his company's hotel reservations in September were up as much as 20% to 30% over the same month last year. Much of the business comes from families needing a change of venue to get away, he explained. "Those that want to travel are traveling close to home."

The virtual lifestyle for students and workers offers opportunities for a quick vacation. Bashaw said one family rented an extra room for their week at Congress Hall and turned the room into a classroom for their children's online school attendance.

"For us, it's weekends," Callender said of consumers returning to casino hotels. While the weekends are busy, the mid-week business still is off in Atlantic City. But, Callender said, a shortage of cleaning staff employees can mean a sold-out weekend results in some rooms not getting cleaned until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Despite some bright spots, the pandemic still is killing business and businesses.

Halvorsen estimated that more than one out of three small independent restaurants in New Jersey will never reopen. The pandemic shutdown will diminish the state's "culinary diversity" by forcing many ethnically diverse, urban restaurants to close because their owners don't have the same access to credit and resources as other restaurateurs, she explained.

The pandemic also severely impacted the hospitality industry workforce. Callender said that 35% of the staff at Tropicana still is on furlough. He said some of the employees who came back have been repurposed — waiters and waitresses have become guest room attendants and dealers have been checking temperatures of customers as they come through the door.

At the last minute, the casino industry learned the state would require plastic barriers between players and between dealers and players at table games. Fewer seats at table games translated into higher minimum bets, which drove away some gamblers. "Primarily, could we make money?" the industry began to ask itself.

He said online gambling and, with the return of professional sports, betting on games have given the industry a boost.

Many consumers remain wary about the effectiveness of safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"There are a lot more consumers that are very skittish about dining inside," Bashaw said. When 50% capacity in restaurants is allowed by the state, Bashaw's restaurants will have plastic dividers on wheels to form a seal between tables, he said.

Callender said getting customers involved in safety is essential. "I don't think anything goes as far as people paying attention," he said. He recalls one slots player calling him over and pointing out another gambler at another machine. The customer told him the man took off his mask as soon as casino personnel were out of sight. Callender appreciated the gambler's attention and told the misbehaving customer he would have to wear his mask at all times if he wanted to stay.

Bashaw showed a list of his pandemic experiences that he kept track of, from humorous to serious. For example: "Employees working on March 16, 2020: 429" and "Employees working on March 19, 2020: 35."

Other items included in his list, from mid-March to reopening on June 1:

• Room revenue lost during the closed period: $1,281,839
• Room nights canceled: 9,373
• Changes to our reopening plan as new guidance was issued by authorities: 19
• Ozone air purifiers purchased: 58
• HVAC ionizers installed in ductwork: 52
• Lobby windows reopened (he said they formerly were permanently shut) and screens installed: 33
• Calls with government officials: 158
• Texts with political, legislative and government leaders: 798
• Bills paid with no revenue coming in: 1,020
• Easter brunch guests 2019 versus 2020: 1,280 / 0
• Mother's Day brunch guests 2019 versus 2020: 1,221 / 0
• Number of times I listened to "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi while running: 22
• Prayers and meditations: daily
• Joy at seeing our team and our guests again: Unquantifiable.

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