Patios get upgrades during pandemic – Southwest Journal

Across Southwest Minneapolis, residents waiting out the pandemic are getting creative with backyard projects and renovations. They are installing outdoor kitchens, getting new chairs for social distance hangouts, laying down paving and thinking generally about the outdoors as a safe place to socialize.

Jason Rexine, the general manager of Patio Town, which has outlets in three suburban locations and serves many clients in Southwest Minneapolis, said he’s seen people invest in their patios what they would have spent on a vacation and use money refunded from canceled trips on their “staycations,” which often include upgrades of their backyard living spaces.

“Instead of going out for dinner or on vacation, they are creating experiences at home, like outdoor pizza night,” he said.

Rexine said he has seen customers add fire pits, water features, grills and…