"The restaurant of the future is outdoors."

Marlin Kaplan can picture it now.

“We’re standing in the middle of the first garden room,” he says, gesturing to a large patch of grass.

Right here, on an empty plot of dirt, will be the main dining room — a covered area tucked beneath a pergola-like structure, surrounded by lush plants and landscaping.

Over there, a smaller space abutting a parking lot, will be a circular patio, flanked by a towering live oak tree and decorated with bright lights — the kind that imbue a holiday-any-time-of-year feel.

In the middle of it all will be a large fountain and a walkway. And all the way in the back, a secluded dining area shrouded by curtains will offer an intimate setting for private gatherings.

Sure, there are some things happening inside, too. But that’s not the point. Kaplan is determined to open what he believes will be the “restaurant of the future,” where outdoor seating — rather than indoor dining — will be the highlight.

But right now it’s just a patch of grass.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times