At Passariello's Pavilion in Moorestown, diners serve themselves in a food-court setting and then enjoy their meals in the fresh air and warm breezes. The return of warm weather is sending diners outside. Joe Passariello, owner of Passariello's Pavilion in Moorestown, has been setting up outdoor tables on his deck to accommodate 40 to 50 customers for the past three warm seasons. The Italian eatery, he said, is set up like a mall food court, and features several indoor stations at which people can choose salads, hot and cold sandwiches, pasta and baked dishes, desserts and pizza. At Calypso Cafe in Riverside, co-owner Michael Smyth has opened a deck overlooking the Rancocas Creek to appeal to his customers.
People sit inside the restaurant, waiting to get outside.
Smyth and his wife Rose plan to soon replace the outdoor umbrellas with an awning. The restaurant, open less than a year, offers traditional waitress service on the deck to serve fresh seafood dishes and homemade desserts. Robin Winzinger, owner of Robin's Nest in Mount Holly, said her two-tier outdoor area is so popular that customers start calling the restaurant in the early spring to find out when it'll reopen for the season. We wait until the weather is consistently warm. Community groups often choose the facility as a spot to host cocktail parties.