Lady Byrd has turned their parking lot into an outdoor haven.
This adorable cafe has carved out its own space in the L.A. dining scene—a lush little garden filled with plants, herbs, flowers and a mini-market, all in an Echo Park parking lot. But that’s not all. Lady Byrd’s lush outdoor spot has four glass cabins installed for customers to enjoy a socially-distant meal in. You can enjoy the scrumptious offerings with the soft sound of birds tweeting around you and the beautiful aromas of rosemary and lavender filling the air.
The café’s owner Misty Mansouri has always looked to Europe for al fresco dining inspiration and the gorgeous greenhouses created by Amsterdam’s waterfront vegan restaurant, Mediamatic Eten, were no exception. The transparent structures can fit up to 6 customers, or 4 comfortably, where the outdoor atmosphere and ambiance of fellow diners can still be taken in. Each greenhouse has windows that allow for ventilation, though this is still best suited for morning and late afternoon affairs with the harsh California heat to consider.
When Mayor Eric Garcetti launched the LA Alfresco initiative–allowing restaurants to take their services to the adjacent sidewalks and parking lots— this quaint setup was the perfect fit. Although these booths compromise a fair portion of the expansive parking space, going the extra mile has paid off. They also clean each cabin thoroughly after use, inline CDC guidelines.
Dining-in service was temporarily reintroduced in L.A. but it was always going to be a bit of a gamble for businesses with a second wave of the virus looming and the cost of keeping up with health and safety measures. When cases started to rise dramatically in California and indoor service was ordered to shut down, Lady Byrd was in prime position to provide a safe and shady escape for customers.
Creative solutions like this could transform the way we look at dining in the future and the prospect is quite exciting.
Lady Byrd Cafe. 2100 Echo Park Ave, Echo Park, CA