Denver restaurants and bars can allow dogs on patios under new rules

Lyndsay Ward walked her dog Lola past the the Corner House Restaurant, 2240 Clay Street in Denver, Saturday night, April 13, 2013. (Karl Gehring, Denver Post file photo)

Coming soon to a Denver restaurant patio near you: dog-friendly and Fido-free zones.

New rules approved by city health regulators this month will make Denver the first city in Colorado to allow dogs on restaurant and bar patios with servers if they meet certain requirements.

The old rules permitted dog-friendly patios only for some places, mostly cafes, as long as they didn't offer table service outside.

Though a restaurant industry spokesman says there are reasons for owners to pause before allowing paws on their patios including potential liability from dog bites Denver Environmental Health Department officials expect many to take advantage. It will be up to the restaurant's owner.

Any food service establishment with a patio of 400 square feet or larger qualifies. Dogs must enter from the street or sidewalk, and at least half the space must be reserved for customers who may prefer not to dine so up close and personal with others' dogs. A few other rules will apply, including keeping dogs a safe distance from food/drink-handling areas and wait stations.

An early adopter is Jake's Food & Spirits in River North, where a manager says a new dog-friendly policy has attracted new customers.

About a month ago, the restaurant fenced off a portion of its patio, enclosing 10 tables seating 25 to 30 people. Customers must place orders and retrieve them from the bar. That cautious policy is more in line with old rules than the new ones, which allow table service in dog zones.

"It's been really popular," said Helen Sierminski, Jake's assistant general manager. "There's definitely days where almost every seat is taken out there."

Dogs have gotten into barking contests a few times, she said, but none have escalated into the kind of fights that could pose a liability concern.

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Denver restaurants and bars can allow dogs on patios under new rules