A Paris-based designer has introduced a security bubble to enclose diners when they reopen in a bid to follow physical distancing laws at restaurants.

Christophe Gernigon says that his Plex’Eat, which resembles a giant bell-jar hanging from the ceiling and containing a diner and their food and drink, provides “complete freedom of movement” in an aesthetically pleasing style. A back cut-out lets diners switch in and out of the safe bubble as they arrive and leave. He assumes that creativity will improve restaurants’ health and morale by reducing face-to-face interaction with other guests and employees as restaurants begin reopening in the aftermath of the pandemic. Gernigon said: “Design’s role is to give a new spark to our everyday lives. When I saw proposals to place plexiglas dividers on restaurant tables, it gave me the impression of being in a prison visiting room. I told myself that I had to imagine a more beautiful, attractive, poetic, elegant object that offers a unique experience. Even if we don’t want to remain indefinitely under a bell jar, the Plex’Eat protective bubbles I invented will let restaurants open rapidly in total security.” The invention of Gernigon has now sparked “universal competition” from pubs, restaurants and hotels around the world, as well as from the public spaces and workplaces, The Caterer reported. The designer said the Plex’Eat was incredibly easy to set up and disassemble, easy to clean and disinfect and suitable for all forms of establishments.