It Pays to Turn Wasted Basement, Closet, and Storage Spaces Into New Experiences

During the pandemic, restaurant survival sometimes meant scoring sidewalk real estate. Not to mention parking lot, parklet, or alley—pretty much anywhere you could set up an igloo, table, or mini greenhouse to squeeze in another reservation. Some restaurants have turned those once temporary set-ups into permanent seating areas and silver-lining revenue generators, but others are ditching drafty snow globes and taking seats back inside—eyeing up unused closets, basements, and waiting areas that can be turned into...