Outside chance: patios serve up hope

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This article was published 06/03/2021 (1670 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the weather gets warmer, restaurants and breweries are counting on patios to serve up pandemic relief.

Several business owners welcomed the city’s decision to offer temporary patio permits again this year — with a target to approve applicants in days instead of weeks — for the April 1 to Oct. 31 season. Some urged the city to extend outdoor dining options in the future.

“People love to drink beer when they’re sitting outside, so it gives us a great way to access customers… There’s just so many more opportunities for sitting and enjoying a pint if they can be in an outdoor space where everybody is safe and socially distanced,” said Kristin Sheffield, head of corporate operations for Little Brown Jug.

Sheffield said the Exchange District microbrewery and tap room was able to serve 25 to 50 extra guests on its temporary patio last year, depending on COVID-19 health orders. The business will apply for the option again this year.

“The temporary patio really doubles our capacity. It’s significant for us,” she said.

Little Brown Jug was one of just three businesses to obtain a winter temporary patio registration, another pandemic relief effort, along with the Juneberry restaurant and three locations of Pony Corral. The permits applied from Nov. 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021.

But Little Brown Jug said code-red restrictions pre-empted any real benefit from that permit, forcing many businesses to shut down in-person service for a second time as of mid-November.

“That designation didn’t really change anything for us because, just like so many other businesses, we were (closed for in-person service) for the majority of the winter,” said Sheffield.

For The Ruby West restaurant in Wolseley, co-owner Jamie Hilland said code red hit before his business was ready to apply for a winter patio, pre-empting its initial hopes to set one up with snow benches and sculptures.

“We had grand designs because we’re big supporters of winter and being outside,” said Hilland.

He said the restaurant’s 2020 temporary summer patio, which added 11 seats to its 16-seat permanent outdoor dining space, was “critical” to its survival.

“It was very helpful for keeping us alive through what’s been a particularly tough year and a bit,” said Hilland, noting the restaurant opened in November 2019.

He said Ruby West is considering whether to apply to make the same patio permanent this year or seek another temporary space.

While stressing that he applauds the city for allowing temporary patios, he said letting them open sooner would be more beneficial.

“We all know… that being outdoors is just safer and (there’s) less chance of (coronavirus) transmission. So that’s our preference to open as soon as we can,” he said.

“If you told me I could sit on a patio and have a meal and a drink with a friend (now), that would be pretty amazing after a pretty isolated winter,” he added.

On Friday, the city confirmed those who wish to open a patio before April 1 can still seek a winter patio registration to do so.

Meanwhile, some restaurant operators also hope permanent year-round patios can be added to the city’s menu of permit options.

“I understand we are a winter city and there are restrictions… (but) I do think (the city) should be a lot more proactive in encouraging people to actually get on board and take advantage of winter patios or year-round patios,” said Mark Turner, owner of the Amsterdam Tea Room and Bar in the Exchange District.

Turner, whose restaurant has a permanent patio for the April 1 to Oct. 31 season, said year-round outdoor dining could give restaurants more certainty. That would allow them to invest in screens, wind blocks and heating lamps that can stay at fixed spots, instead of requiring patio elements to be taken down and stored after each season.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga