Hoping to be ‘packed,’ Boise restaurant reopens. How will diners be safe? It’s an art.

When staffers at Bittercreek Alehouse started contemplating reopening for dining, they quickly realized the place was going to feel a little odd — no matter what.

If half the tables were removed to meet coronavirus guidelines, the brewpub at 246 N. 8th St. felt cavernous. If all the tables remained but half were designated as closed, it felt like an empty restaurant.

So the downtown bar and grill came up with an entertaining solution: fake folks.

Bittercreek hired Boise artist Kelly Knopp to create 30 customer characters using cardboard and Sharpie markers. They range from typical-looking cartoon citizens to eccentrics such as a beer pirate, a wine-drinking Tin Man and a hop-head dude.

They sit in chairs. They loiter at the bar. And hopefully, brand manager David Roberts said, they will make Bittercreek Alehouse a little more fun and safe. The popular 8th Street spot reopened Monday.

“I hope that we are packed,” Roberts said. “But I hope that we are packed with people that are respectful and mindful of the situation.”

Bittercreek takes the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, Roberts said. All employees wear masks. The longtime seat-yourself hangout is now a hosted restaurant. And reservations are being accepted.

Knopp, who completed the project in a three-day whirlwind, thinks of it as an art installation for the COVID-19 era. He calls it “Temporary Diners.”

Why “temporary”?

“Putting artwork on cardboard is the last thing you want to do if you want to try to preserve artwork,” Knopp explained. “Then just the whole idea that hopefully this is all temporary — that these fake cardboard guests will go away, eventually.”

Guests at a soft opening Saturday seemed to enjoy the imaginary drinkers and diners, Roberts said.

“In a strange way, I think it makes it less weird,” he explained.

Not only do the cardboard characters reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission by adding social distancing, they offer entertainment value, Knopp added.

“We kind of thought it was like dinner and a show,” he said. “Because you can walk around the restaurant and see all of them. And it is lighthearted. It helps the situation, but then also in a positive sort of light.”

Online: bittercreekalehouse.com, knoppart.com.

This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 3:38 PM.