Outdoor dining was curbed too much: City Council must expand the program

Outdoor dining was curbed too much: City Council must expand the program

As was predicted, the City Council made a grave error in so weakening the city’s outdoor dining program that hardly any restaurants have set up tables in the roadway. The season began on April 1, but you’d barely notice as only about 650 roadway structures have been approved, along with 1,850 sidewalk cafes, mostly concentrated in wealthier areas. During COVID, that figure exceeded 10,000. Part of the problem is that there being an outdoor dinin…

Is it time to rethink restrictions around outdoor dining spaces?

During the pandemic when hospitality businesses were struggling as a result of social distancing restrictions, outdoor dining was a saviour to many. Lots of businesses were able to put tables and chairs on pavements and in roads allowing them to make money when people could not mix inside. However, as the pandemic began to end and life returned to normal many of the businesses were forced back inside, losing the extra space they gained. Now hosp…

Not only since the Corona pandemic, there is the idea of using parking spaces no longer for parking, but for outdoor dining. Set up tables and chairs where cars are usually parked. Again and again, there is talk of "a feeling of being in the woods".