Recesss outdoor patio in the West Loop looks like it was made to serve customers during a pandemic. The 14,500-square-foot space debuted Wednesday as patios across the city opened, allowing restaurants to serve customers on premises for the first time since mid-March. Surrounded like a childrens fortress with 30 shipping containers, the restaurant and bar has plenty of space to place tables within six feet of each other.

Management is touting the patio as the largest in Chicago. That fact isnt readily verified, but its massive space with a center structure and covering that should keep customers dry from rain. Go up either of two flights of stairs on opposite sides of the venue to additional seating on the perimeter. Theres a unique view of the city that especially looks good during sunset.

The city and state are allowing some indoor dining, provided a window or wall can open up a wall by at least 50 percent. There are a few indoor tables at Recess which are kept eight feet away from garage door windows. This is a space that has the resources to actually adhere to the citys and states novel coronavirus safety guidelines.

Staff from Atomic Hospitality (Morgan Street Manufacturing, Untitled) carefully thought out ways to reduce customer and staff anxieties. Staff wear masks, there are stations full of hand sanitizer, and the venues name is stenciled on the sidewalk marking where customers could queue. Under the current social distance-friendly configuration with tables wide apart they can fit a little under 300 customers. The spaces standing capacity normally would be around 600.

Its no longer about spreading the disease, its about liability, says Toula Georgakopoulos, Recesss event sales manager.

Large-format cocktails are available in water coolers.

Recess is booked with reservations for the weekend. For now, itll serve a bar menu. It will eventually add entrees, says Atomics COO Joe Manna. An outdoor bar will be in operation over the weekend.

Recess is keeping the government theme; the space was originally named City Hall (the event space is still using the moniker). There was a cut-out of Mayor Lori Lightfoot that greets customers at the host stand. Theres also a large-format drink that comes in a menu water cooler. Servers leave the cooler on the table allowing customers to dispense their own beverages.

It leans on the idea of government workers hanging out around a water cooler and conversing. Drinks like Rum Emanuel, Liquor License, and the Crony are available in these mini-coolers. Manna says he was surprised how popular they are, given that customers at a table may all touch the dispenser. On the other hand, fewer visits from servers could cancel out those health concerns. Recess is also employing QR Codes so customers can use their phones to view menus.

Recesss crews started work on the outdoor portion last year, as the space which is also used for private events debuted in 2019. The 2021 private event slate looks robust as the pandemic wiped out this years pushing events. While thats sad for many wedding parties, at least they wont have to wait for weekend brunch. Recess will start service this weekend.

Recess, 838 W. Kinzie Street, open at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 am. on weekends; closing times dependent on city curfew. Reservations available online.

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Recess Chicago open its massive West Loop patio - Eater Chicago

For restaurants around Greater Boston, the prospect of offering outdoor dining might not be a picnic.

Patio service will be permitted as part of Phase 2 of Gov. Charlie Bakers Massachusetts reopening plan, which is expected to go into effect on Monday. And with these updated health and safety guidelines, local business owners anticipate a number of challenges that are unique to al fresco-only operations.

I think only having outdoor dining has a danger of moving the needle in a very negative way, said Jack Bardy, co-owner of Beat Brew Hall in Cambridge, as well as The Beehive and Cosmica in the South End, which both have patios.

Youre not going to generate anywhere near the revenue you could normally generate, and it could be a money-losing proposition, he added. Were going to give it a try and try our best, but were being realistic.

Paul Turano, chef and owner at Cook Restaurant in Needham and Newton, is also skeptical about how much outside dining will drive revenue, if at all. While hes looking to stick some tables outdoors and encourage people to eat en plein air, he also sees obstacles.

Were in New England, Turano said. It can be too hot, too cold, raining, too muggy, too buggy. Im kind of excited to have some outdoor seating, however, Im a realist and Im not really sure how much it will increase sales.

Turano added that for the immediate future, hes going to focus on perfecting his takeout operation rather than heavily invest in outdoor expansion.

My goal is to not spend a lot of money on it, to not bank on it changing my situation because I honestly dont think that it will, he added.

Unlike Turano, Kathy Sidell, owner of Saltie Girl, Met Back Bay and Stephanies on Newbury Street, is investing in the patio space she already has, outfitting them with tents and plexiglass dividers. In addition to the weather- and pandemic-proofing precautions shes taking, Sidell also said shes being safe about staffing for both her businesses and her customers sake.

At least at the beginning, theres definitely not going to be nearly as many people, Sidell said of her staff. You just cant possibly afford it. If youre going to do 25 percent of the business, you need 25 percent of the staff, if thats possible.

To reduce the number of people on the premises, Sidells restaurants are slated to use an app, where patrons can view the menu on their own and personally order straight from the kitchen to minimize interactions with waitstaff.

I think thats going to be a little trial and error for everybody, Sidell said. Im hoping people will be forgiving. Hopefully, people will have a greater understanding of what it takes to really run a business, particularly when were kind of on one leg.

That hope can especially be applied to establishments that dont have patios and that are still trying to work with local municipalities to secure a space. Chef Dave Becker, owner of Juniper in Wellesley, Sweet Basil in Needham and Balani in Waltham, is one of the restaurateurs still looking to secure a solution.

I just want to survive, Becker said. I just want to sell food for money If you give me any horizontal surface thats within a short walk from the door of my restaurant to serve food, I will serve food on it.

Whatever towns let me do even if they let me float canoes down the Charles River I will do it, he said. If it involves staying up late and building a tree fort, I will do it.

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Massachusetts restaurants prepare for patio dining and its problems - Boston Herald

They came for a beer. They came to celebrate an anniversary. They came seeking momentary reprieve from a pandemic.

Customers trickled in to Minnesota restaurants and breweries Monday, the first day patio dining was allowed to open under orders from the state.

For some reason, this was my milestone for feeling more normal to go out and have lunch again, said Sean Gilbertson of Edina, who was having a venison and Kobe beef Juicy Lucy and fries on the dock at 6Smith in Wayzata.

The restaurant was his second choice; his first made a last-minute call not to open after days of violence and looting swept Minneapolis in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd while in police custody.

Did having a meal outside his home for the first time in months help Gilbertson feel normal?

No, he said. I dont know what would make things more normal.

The state ordered dining rooms to close beginning March 17 to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Minnesota. Later, they were given a June 1 reopening date with the caveat that all dining must take place outdoors, with no more than 50 guests at a time, on a reservation-only basis.

Many restaurants chose not to reopen yet, whether due to the ongoing pandemic, a lack of outdoor seating or the economic hardship of opening to serve only a fraction of their usual capacity.

Then, with a week of unrest across the metro that saw several Twin Cities restaurants vandalized or damaged, more restaurants decided to put off their scheduled patio openings.

But after nearly three months without a seated customer, others were ready to welcome guests back to their patios and rooftops on a sunny day with temperatures in the high 80s.

It wasnt business as usual.

At Pub 42 in New Hope, there was one significant barrier for entry to the deck overlooking the parking lot and N. 42nd Avenue. General manager Rob Gossard stood at the hosts stand, pointing a white thermometer at guests foreheads for a touchless temperature reading. Anyone over 99.5 degrees would be sent away.

Were trying to keep fever out of the restaurant, he said.

At 6Smith, a timer went off every 15 minutes to let staffers in matching gray masks know it was time to wash their hands.

A bagpiper was on hand to welcome guests to Utepils Brewings tucked-away beer garden along Bassett Creek in north Minneapolis. When the first song ended, a man seated on an Adirondack chair with a beer in hand yelled out, Are you playing that thing with a mask on?

The bagpipers second number was taps, to honor Floyd.

The brewery had a total of 56 bookings for the day, a slow start, said owner Dan Justesen.

Still, he was pretty excited as he watched over about a dozen customers at picnic tables. We live to do this, he said.

Jacob Bell and Sara Marie Sorenson are regulars at Sir Benedicts Tavern on the Lake in Duluth and were with co-owner Josh Stotts until the restaurants last call before the stay-at-home order took hold in March.

Theres definitely been a piece of our lives thats been missing the last two months, Bell said.

Stotts said his patio can usually seat 119 customers, but hes spread out tables to make room for social distancing. Almost all 50 seats available were filled Monday afternoon.

Were taking things one day at a time, he said. Tavern on the Hill in Duluth filled all its reservation slots for Monday.

Our phones been ringing off the hook, said co-owner Julie Thoreson. I wish we had more room. Fifty seats fill pretty darn quick.

More restaurants and bars will be rolling out their patios in the week ahead.

After its April debut was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Grocers Table is opening in downtown Wayzata on Wednesday on a newly expanded patio that takes advantage of sidewalk footage.

Over the past two months, owner Lindsay Pohlad has made alterations to her original cafe-wine bar-market business plan by emphasizing the market aspect of her enterprise. Banquettes have been replaced with coolers stocked with all kinds of pantry staples, including locally sourced eggs, butter, yogurt and cheese.

Pohlad added that the Grocers Table will follow now-standard protocols: a separate entrance and exit, disposable menus, cashless transactions and masked and gloved staffers.

Although opening a restaurant during a global pandemic is surreal, Pohlad is accentuating the positive. I feel that weve been stressed and challenged in every way possible before we even opened, so thats a silver lining, she said.

Other restaurant and bar operators made the last-minute call not to open as planned. Finnegans Brewery was prepared to open its taproom Monday, until a Sunday night decision to postpone. In light of what is happening in our city, now is not the right time to reopen, said an announcement on social media.

Three of Craft & Crew Hospitalitys four restaurants opened their patios but their Howe Daily Kitchen & Bar in south Minneapolis is delaying.

The online reservation system Open Table was still taking bookings midmorning Monday for the News Room on Nicollet Mall. General manager Brad Schwichtenberg had to call customers to let them know those reservations were canceled.

The restaurant, like others on the mall, is still boarded up and it will take almost 48 hours to take the boards down and prepare the restaurant for customers, Schwichtenberg said. Theyre hoping to open by Thursday.

Tables were set up at 6 a.m. on the patio outside French Meadow Bakery & Cafe on S. Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis for the long-awaited opening of its patio.

But French Meadow founder Lynn Gordon changed course minutes before the first seating, suspending service to those tables. (People can sit there with their takeout.) The cafes hand-carved wooden front doors were damaged over the weekend in a break-in.

In St. Paul, Afro Deli opened its patio on the pedestrian-only West 7th Place. Even with social distancing restrictions, it has enough room to seat 30 to 40 people.

Opening Monday was important to owner Abdirahman Kahin, despite the destruction of businesses from riots and arson over the last week.

We want to be a solution for the unrest, Kahin said. We are sympathizing with George Floyd and his family and we also support people who are demanding justice. We want to make sure life goes on, despite the atmosphere.

Over the weekend, Afro Deli prepared 1,200 meals to distribute to citizens cleaning up Lake Street, and partnered with Meals on Wheels and Frontline Foods throughout the pandemic to get meals to seniors and children.

Opening the patio gives back to the community in another way, Kahin said.

Some people feel better when they see businesses that are open, he said. We want to show hope.

Staff writer Katie Galioto contributed to this report.

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'We want to show hope': Patios are open for dining at some Twin Cities restaurants - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Lakeview gastropub Corridor Brewery & Provisions was among the restaurants reopening for outdoor dining on Wednesday for the first time since mid-March. These restaurants and must abide by a litany of city requirements: tables must be six feet apart, parties cannot be larger than six per table, and customers must wear face coverings when theyre not eating or drinking. Self-serve drink stations are verboten, and waiting rooms are allowed to hold a maximum of 10 people.

The Southport Corridor restaurant stands across from a boarded-up Amazon Books location with its large front doors completely open, creating a wide channel between the indoor dining space and outdoor patio. Would-be diners and curious passersby linger in the in-between space looking around for direction from remarkably upbeat staff, who promptly pull them aside and lay out how it works.

Corridor has 12 patio seats across five socially-distanced tables (two and four-tops), plus eight more spots at two four-tops arranged just on the edge of the indoor dining space and sidewalk. Thats a drop from its original 90 seats.

A manager estimated that the restaurant had served around seven or eight tables by 12:30 p.m., and staff turned and served four more parties of two in the next half hour. Diners are provided with typical silverware and dishes, and beer is served in clear plastic cups. Interactions with servers are limited staff transport food from kitchen to table rapidly and dont hang around to chat.

All workers are masked, per the citys mandate, but customers are allowed to remove their face covering once theyre seated. An amiable Corridor employee explained that hed had to turn away a few people who showed up without a face covering, but said most have come prepared. When asked what hed like diners to know, he requested patience and understanding, especially given the novelty of the scenario both workers and diners find themselves in.

The path to any kind of restaurant reopening has been fraught, down to the final moments before relaunch ominous weather forecasts, concerns over potential looting and vandalism, and the taxing effects of days of protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd lead some companies like Boka Restaurant Group and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises to hold off on their reopening plans until Thursday or Friday.

Neither patrons nor restaurants should expect a return to so-called normalcy any time soon rather, all will likely need to be prepared for some trial and error as operators wade into as-yet uncharted waters

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5419 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640

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Heres What Its Like to Dine on a Chicago Patio - Eater Chicago

Christina Ausley

June 3, 2020Updated: June 5, 2020 9:54a.m.

Although Seattleites are getting antsy as counties across the state begin reopening for dine-in, King County might not be too far behind when it comes to outdoor dining.

As of late May, King County announced its plans to reopen certain businesses in a makeshift "Phase 1.5" before officially entering Phase 2 which would boast restaurant reopenings at half their capacity.

Of those businesses included for Phase 1.5, restaurants with outdoor seating could be reopened at 50% capacity as well.

Though Washington's current stay-at-home order has ended, Gov. Jay Inslee and the state still need to approve the application for a modified Phase 1 "Safe Start" which would permit the outdoor dining.

But, the process could reach completion as early as this week.

Alongside Phase 1.5 and resumed outdoor dining, additional personal and professional services (yes, think barbers and salons) may reopen at 25%.

Nonetheless, with the hopes of Phase 1.5 approval over the next few days, we've rounded up a handful of large outdoor dining spaces around the Emerald City eager for your return to the restaurant world as they adhere to new guidelines in the reopening process to ensure safety for visitors and workers. Scroll down.

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Seattle outdoor dining could reopen soon: 19 eateries with patios - seattlepi.com

Officials recently gave Chicago restaurants the green light to reopen for al fresco dining starting June 3rd. Establishments will have to follow strict guidelines to make sure folks arent spreading the virus. Workers will be required to wear a mask, and barriers must be installed for areas where employees and patrons cant be six feet apart. Here are some bars and restaurants where youll be able to drink and dine, starting this week!

1913 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

This popular spot created a special layout with all tables spread a minimum of six feet apart. Their Instagram gave us a sneak peek of their adorable flamingo chairs, sparkly lights, and major summer vibes. Get your reservation in now!

464 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60642

Ready for some Italian cuisine? Finalmente! The folks at Piccolo are eager to welcome us back. Reserve your table by calling (312) 421-0077. Some things to note: parties of six or fewer must arrive together. And your time is limited to 2 hours max, depending on your party size.

300 N LaSalle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654

WE ARE BACK, Chicago Cut Steakhouse enthusiastically announced on Twitter. Starting June 3rd, you can order a sizzling steak with a side of impeccable downtown views on their patio. Make your reservation through OpenTable or by calling (312) 329-1800.

3509 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Logan Squares vintage sports club and eatery is ready to reopen for patio season! Theyre now accepting reservations for outdoor seating through Resy. Reserve your table under a striped umbrella and kick back with boozy strawberry lemonade slushie for pure heaven.

233 N Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606

Get a taste of Italy while enjoying gorgeous patio seating at this ideal location. Gibsons will start taking reservations on June 1st for dining as soon as June 3rd. Call to book your table today at (312) 414-1100.

1840 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

This laid-back neighborhood favorite made a big announcement on their Instagram, PSA: OUR ROOFTOP IS OPENING FOR BUSINESS! Starting this Wednesday (weather permitting) from 11 am 9 pm. We cannot wait to cheers you after all this time apart. Make your reservation on their website here!

2159 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Tumans sidewalk patio is prepped for thirsty Chicagoans. They announced on their Instagram, Were working hard to make sure were fully sanitized before we open. Keep your eyes on our social media for updates our patio will look different for 2020.

Multiple Locations

Whos ready for some Quad Cities style pizza? Literally everyone? Well, thank goodness this pizzeria is now accepting reservations starting June 3rd. Book your reservation on their website and get back to your roots.

1801 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

This no-frills, all-American sports bar is ready for your business once again. They stated on Instagram, Were working hard to make sure were safe and sanitized before the big debut. We will be open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily starting Wednesday. WE CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL!

2558 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Since 1982, this vibrant restaurant has been serving up authentic Mexican cuisine in Lincoln Park. Their patio is primed and ready to go with plenty of foliage to help separate guests. Book your reservation today.

1748 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60612

West Loop residents will be happy to know this fine dining restaurant is now accepting reservations. Their relaxing patio is the perfect setting for appetizers and wine with your BFF. Book ahead on their website.

2047 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

Wicker Parks Number-One Sports Bar in America by Nightclub & Bar Magazine is now accepting reservations for their outdoor seating. To make a reservation, email info@Thefifty50.com with the subject line Reservation Request. Include your name, number of patrons, date/time, and contact info.

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These Chicago Bars & Restaurants Plan On Reopening Their Patios This June - UrbanMatter

While many Southeast Michigan restaurants are scrambling this week to prepare for reopening by rearranging seating for social distancing, cities and municipalities across the region are quickly pushing through changes to patio seating ordinances.

On Monday, June 8, restaurants and bars across the state will be permitted to start serving dine-in customers for the first time in nearly three months. But with much still unknown about the novel coronavirus, many believe the outdoor, open-air seating is the safer option for dining out.

According to an Eater Detroit survey, roughly 87 percent of respondents expressed a preference for being seated on a patio when service resumed at Detroit-area restaurants. Thats opposed to the 52 percent of participants who said they would be willing to sit in a dining room and the 33 percent of respondents who felt comfortable being seated at a bar.

Several Detroit restaurant owners also told Eater in May that they would be willing to provide a form of limited service on a patio, even if they werent comfortable bringing customers inside quite yet. Meanwhile, Brush Street Bar & Grille in Brush Park was way ahead of the curve in getting its newly furnished patio and dining room ready to welcome customers back.

Michigan is already several weeks into its scant warm season when outdoor seating is feasible, and many restaurants and bars have only limited patio space. Some of those spots are now counting on local leaders to allow more flexibility in use of outdoor public spaces amidst an ongoing economic and public health crisis.

Along with bills allowing for to-go cocktails, state lawmakers have also introduced bills that could allow cities and municipalities to create so-called social districts where the public could drink alcoholic beverages off-premises, similar to New Orleans. Restaurants and bars with permits to use the district spaces would be required to manage these spaces and make sure that customers didnt leave designated areas.

In the past several weeks, Birmingham adjusted rules to temporarily allow restaurants and cafes to adjust and expand outdoor dining spaces on to city sidewalks and streets, according to Crains. Plymouth has also begun the process of reorganizing portions of its downtown and Old Village areas for more outdoor seating.

Detroit followed suit on Tuesday, when the city council passed a unanimous resolution that expedites the process for issuing sidewalk permits to businesses, the Detroit Free Press reports. Rather than taking 60 days to process, the permits must now be approved within a 24-hour window; the city has also streamlined the temporary street closure process, that used to take a year. Restaurant owners may begin applying for the permits today on the detroitmeansbusiness.org website, which provides information for operators on how to manage their reopening plans.

Ann Arbors city council also unanimously approved a plan this week to allow restaurants and bars to expand their patios into streets, according to MLive. The plan proposes the potential closure of several streets including Main, Washington, Liberty, Maynard, State, Detroit, and Church streets, along with South University Avenue. Those closures could begin as soon as Friday, June 12 and would take place every weekend from 2 p.m. on Friday to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Beginning Monday, restaurants and bars across the state may open at 50 percent of capacity with six feet of space between groups. They all must comply with other guidelines for disinfecting, monitoring staff members, and making sure employees wear face coverings over their nose and mouth.

Eater is tracking the impact of the novel coronavirus on the local food industry. Have a story to share? Reach out at detroit@eater.com.

Detroit Speeds Up Outdoor Dining Permits as Restaurant Reopening Date Nears [Crains] Detroit Is Making It Easier for Restaurants to Get Outdoor Seating Permit [Freep] Downtown Ann Arbor Bars, Restaurants Get Councils OK to Expand Patios Into Streets [MLive] All Michigan Restaurants and Bars Can Open for Dine-In Service on June 8 [ED] How Coronavirus Is Impacting the Detroit Food and Beverage Industry [ED]

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Detroit Rushes to Expand Patio Seating for Restaurants and Bars - Eater Detroit

A total of 46 operators of Vancouver restaurants, bars and craft breweries have applied to the city for temporary patios since the application process opened Monday.

Jessie Adcock, the citys general manager of development, buildings and licensing, said Thursday that of the 46 applicants, 14 were granted permits, with others to follow by the end of the week.

So far, so good, Adcock said of the interest. Generally speaking, I feel like people are quite happy that we heard how important this was going to be to the economic recovery.

The new program, which expires in October, is aimed at helping businesses that either closed or operated in a limited capacity over the last few months and are now trying to recover revenue losses sustained from the pandemic.

The city has waived fees, which can run up to $3,000 annually, and promised a two-day turnaround for applicants. Setting up a patio after getting a permit depends on how elaborate the patio, said Adcock, noting the city has supplied template patio drawings for businesses to use in their online application.

Patios are expected to come in all sizes, with some taking over parking spots and portions of sidewalks. Operators serving liquor on patios will require railings around them, while other patios may consist of tables and chairs than can be moved at the end of the day.

Though some of the citys craft breweries have applied for a permit, not all fall under the same zoning, so the city continues to work with them to speed up the process, Adcock said.

The complexity there is some are zoned as manufacturers, and others have gone through a process to be rezoned and get restaurant clearance, which puts them in a different category of allowable uses, she said.

Adcock said the city is also working to expand the program to permit temporary patios on private property, where a restaurant might want to negotiate with the owner of an adjacent parking lot to place a temporary patio.

Three of the applications received were for private property patios.

What weve been trying to tell applicants is the simpler application, the faster the approval, she said. Were continuing to work on the stuff that we havent completely got solutions for yet, and were slowly, slowly building on what we launched on day one.

Neil Wyles, the executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, said he expected more business owners would apply for temporary patios. But, he said, he was encouraged and hopeful more businesses would take advantage of the program.

One complaint he heard from an owner was he submitted a sketch of the patio he wanted, and the city told him he needed architectural drawings for four tables.

Thats not nimble, thats not quick, Wyles said. Hopefully, the staff will start to realize that this is not business as usual anymore. But there has been some guys who clearly have had some positive results.

Wyles said he is working with restaurants and cafes along a strip of Main Street between 14th and 15th avenues to have patios along the block. That would require either taking parking spots or the sidewalk to accommodate the patios, he said.

He said patios could attract more customers with cabin fever from the pandemic.

Everyone wants to sit on a patio during the summer, so if the city is going to enable us to do that, thats great, he said.

Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association, described city councils approval of the patio program as totally proactive, awesome and needed.

Margaret Wittgens, the citys acting deputy general manager of engineering, told council last week the new patios cannot have structures on them or anything electrical. The intent is to enable quick implementation that does not involve significant design, or construction costs, Wittgens said.

Our real goal is to move fast and be agile, she said. Thats going to require learning as we go, and working with businesses to adjust if things dont work.

mhowell@vancourier.com

Twitter/@Howellings

Originally posted here:
Vancouver receives 46 applications for temporary patios - North Shore News

The City of Vancouver says it has already issued 14 temporary expedited patio permits, just days after the programs launch on Monday, June 1.

So far, a total of 46 restaurants and liquor serving establishments have submitted applications for the program, which provides these businesses with a streamlined review process and simplified requirements for patios on streets, curbside parking spaces, or sidewalks.

The city says permits can be issued in 48 hours, if the online application meets all of the requirements based on their sidewalk and/or curbside conditions. The permits for patio operations will last until October 31. This is a free program; there is no application and permit fee.

Businesses can follow simple templates created by city planners to make this an easier process.

A small sidewalk patio must have a minimum distance of 2.4 metres from the tables to parking meters, street signs, and street lights. For patio benches, the requirement is 2.9 metres. Any furniture on the sidewalk for a small patio must be removed at the end of the day.

A large sidewalk patio on the sidewalk must have a minimum distance of 1.1 metres for the patio aisle.

For curbside parking space patios, they cannot be wider than 1.8 metres and must have a one-metre spot available after every two parking spots for emergency vehicle access. Patios that are near the corner of a city block must have a distance of six metres from patio to stop sign or the nearest edge of the closest sidewalk on an intersecting street.

In addition to street furniture, large sidewalk and curbside patios require a safety railing.These requirements maintain sidewalk clearance and a safe distance from the travel lanes of the road.

The designs must be accessible, such as the inclusion of a ramp, if necessary.There are also minimal clearance requirements from utilities (such as drains and manholes) and fire hydrant connections.

Template of a small sidewalk patio. (City of Vancouver)

Template of a large sidewalk patio. (City of Vancouver)

Template of a curbside parking space patio. (City of Vancouver)

But the patios cannot use any structures that require a development and/or building permit, nor can they be anchored into a street or sidewalk deeper than 10 cm. There are also no seating capacity increases beyond the existing occupancy permit and provincial health order of a 50% occupancy capacity.

As of today, breweries with a manufacturing licence are eligible to apply for a temporary expedited patio permit.

These guidelines were developed after Vancouver City Councils May 12 direction to city staff to develop a new, faster online application process for flexible restaurant patios. On May 19, the ban on restaurant table service that began on March 20 was also rescinded.

The city states it is also working on developing potential bylaw changes to allow temporary patios on private property, as three of the patio submissions so far are for private property patios.

These outdoor dining spaces are intended to allow proper physical distancing and support struggling restaurants and establishments. This could be particularly beneficial for smaller businesses, by allowing their seating capacities to be increased beyond what might be permissible for indoor dining under physical distancing requirements. Additionally, health officials have indicated outdoor environments allowing potential coronavirus droplets to widely disperse are safer compared to indoor environments.

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Over a dozen expedited patio permits already issued by Vancouver | Dished - Daily Hive

Two Steveston businesses have been approved for expanded patios, allowing them to let more customers in now with COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions in place.

The Porthole and Steveston Built Local Taphouse and Grill, both located on No. 1 Road in the heart of Steveston Village, have been allowed expanded their patio space.

Three other applications are in the hopper and there have also been three additional inquiries to the city about expanded patios.

Almost two weeks ago, council voted to allow an expedited process to let cafes, restaurants and pubs expand existing patios onto sidewalks and other peripheral areas temporarily until the end of October.

The province also eased up its liquor licenses so they could be extended onto these expanded patio spaces.

The applications are taking just one to two days to process by the City of Richmond, explained city spokesperson Clay Adams.

The commitment was to do this quickly, Adams added.

As mandated by the provincial health officer, tables at food establishments must be six feet apart and can have a maximum of six people per table.

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Patios expanded at two Steveston pubs - Richmond News