A botanical-themed bar in London will dress up its bartenders as beekeepers in an effort to promote safety
- As London begins to reemerge from lockdown, bars are searching for creative ways to follow new safety restrictions.
- At Mr Fogg's House of Botanicals, bartenders become beekeepers in an effort to stay safe.
- Donned in a beekeeper's suit and veil, the bartenders and waiters will serve botanical-inspired cocktails to guests.
The London bar was already filled with flora and fauna, but when it reopens, customers won't be served by a bartender. They'll be served by a beekeeper.
In an imaginative way to protect customers and staff, Mr Fogg's House of Botanicals is having its staff wear beekeeper suits that function as PPE. Behind the beekeeper's veil, the staff will also be wearing face masks.
Co-founders Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling donned the suits to showcase how it will work when the bar reopens. London restaurants were instructed to close on March 20, and according to Eater, the earliest some may reopen is July 4.
Initially, the founders were worried that traditional PPE could feel disconnected and sterile. To create a fun atmosphere, beekeeper suits were added to the reopening plans.
"Now more than ever before, people will need spaces that spark a sense of escapism and imagination, and we are determined to adapt what we were doing successfully before to the new ways of operating," Gilkes said in a statement shared with Insider.
In addition to the suits, staff will go through regular temperature checks, hand sanitizer stations have been added throughout the building, and more rigorous cleaning routines have been adopted.
The beekeeper suits add to the bar's botanical theme. The bar is teeming with colorful plants and flowers, and a majority of the menu is also inspired by botanicals and tropicals.
Mr Fogg's House of Botanicals is part of the London-based bar company, Inception Group. Its other locations have also found creative ways to protect customers and staff.
At Cahoots, bartenders wear gas masks in the 1940s-themed bar, while mannequins fill Mr Fogg's Residence as part of an "Around the World in 80 Days" theme.