Missing customers, Belgian restaurateur serves mannequins

Therese, owner of the restaurant "Chez Therese", poses next to mannequins with balloon heads representing customers and sitting on chairs at tables, to brighten up her empty restaurant in Rixensart to denounce the measures taken by the Belgian government as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Belgium, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

A Belgian restaurant owner near Brussels says she misses her customers so much since her restaurant was forced to close last October under coronavirus laws, she has replaced them with mannequins.

Therese Mahieu began serving glasses of red wine to dummies with wigs, hats and scarves sitting at the bar this week in protest against Belgium's COVID-19 measures.

The dummies, made of balloons, give her a sense of community that has been lost at restaurant Chez Therese in the town of Rixensart, in Brussels' commuter belt, since clientele were barred from entering to prevent COVID-19 infections.

Mannequins with balloon heads representing customers are seen on chairs at tables, installed by the restaurant owner to brighten up her empty restaurant "Chez Therese" in Rixensart to denounce the measures taken by the Belgian government as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Belgium, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

While Belgium has yet to see a surging third wave of coronavirus cases, the home of the European Union and NATO has one of the world's highest per capita COVID-19 death tolls.

(Reporting by Johanna Geron; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

Mannequins with balloon heads representing customers are seen on chairs at tables, installed by the restaurant owner to brighten up her empty restaurant "Chez Therese" in Rixensart to denounce the measures taken by the Belgian government as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Belgium, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Mannequins with balloon heads representing customers are seen on chairs at tables, installed by the restaurant owner to brighten up her empty restaurant "Chez Therese" in Rixensart to denounce the measures taken by the Belgian government as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Belgium, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Mannequins with balloon heads representing customers are seen on chairs at tables, installed by the restaurant owner to brighten up her empty restaurant "Chez Therese" in Rixensart to denounce the measures taken by the Belgian government as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Belgium, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron