To date, Chicago has received more than 640 submissions with winter outdoor dining solutions aiming to help restaurants as safety concerns restrict indoor dining during the pandemic. In August, the city announced a contest as fall approached with winter’s chill lurking. Restaurants — in lieu of a governmental industry-specific bailout — are searching for creative ways to continue outdoor dining season and keep their businesses afloat.

One contest idea with multiple submissions is to make use of old CTA buses