Hamilton approves outdoor dining districts for restaurants during COVID-19

Hamilton city council voted 13 to 1 and approved a motion to create special outdoor ‘dining districts’ that will allow locals to safely patronize their favourite restaurants during the temporarily tricky realities of the COVID-19 crisis.

The motion, brought to city council by Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr this past Wednesday, proposed that vacant parking lots and roadways adjacent to restaurants be used as spillover space for those restaurants to build expanded outdoor patios that allow for proper social distancing.

“Outdoor Dining Districts” on city streets and parking lots + relaxed rules to enable patios on parking lots in malls/plazas have been given the green light by #HamOnt City Council. Hopefully some vibrancy will be coming back soon to places like restaurant row on King William St! pic.twitter.com/EfQsmP3LpU

— Jason Thorne (@JasonThorne@Mastodon.Social) (@JasonThorne_RPP) May 13, 2020

While the move will see some roadways and parking lots partially closed for a few months, it will also allow Hamilton’s restaurant industry – most of which has been struggling financially amid this pandemic – to reintroduce the crucial dine-in aspect of their operations and accept sufficient patron traffic to stay afloat until society returns to normal.

These outdoor dining districts will be a temporary measure in place during the summer and fall of this year while the weather permits, and will only be put into action once the province allows restaurants and bars to reopen.

The new initiative will also allow thousands of hospitality employees, currently laid off while restaurants have switched to takeaway or closed up completely, to return to work.

The stresses of COVID-19 have already been devastating for many local businesses, with permanent closures happening for longstanding local favourites like Emma’s Back Porch in Burlington, and for brand new spots who barely got a chance like Meanwhile Winebar on James North.

With the introduction of outdoor dining districts and the chance for increased business and foot traffic, many of Hamilton’s restaurants that may not have survived the coming months just might have the resources to keep their heads above water and make it to the other side of this unprecedented global crisis.

Lead image courtesy of @JasonThorne_RRP

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