There are some folks that sit and watch, others go out and do their own thing. At a time so many of us must adapt to a changing life due to COVID-19, the owners of Aruffos Restaurant on Yale Avenue are fighting back by creating an elaborate outdoor seating area in front of their indoor restaurant. And this is no little thing. It’s basically a deck the same height as the curb that extends into the street using four parking spaces. There’s plenty of room for cars to drive past, as many are curious what’s going on.

Owner Valerie Aruffo says they worked hard on the design, especially when trying to squeeze into diagonal parking spaces. They also partnered with the city to get it built. “The city really helped get approvals quickly,” Ms. Aruffo said. “They wanted this idea to be successful.”

It only took 10 days to build, although Ms. Aruffo is still adding decorations and other finishing touches. The deck can seat over 40 people from 15 tables, in addition to other tables along the sidewalk.

Aruffos is all in…in to be a restaurant serving outdoors. And the timing couldn’t be better.