Since March, many restaurants have had to shut down. This inspired some restaurants to take dining outside in order to follow health officials’ recommendations on COVID-19.
Restaurants in downtown Phoenix are applying for a temporary program that allows them to create their own open-air dining experience that meets social distancing requirements.
The program will operate at a reduced capacity in keeping with Coronavirus-related restrictions, and it will help businesses that were out of business in their dining areas to pick up work again with their outdoor dining.
Lost Leaf, a downtown Phoenix art bar, had to shut down on March 15, but officially reopened on Nov. 3 with limited capacity and outdoor seating only.
Eric Dahl, co-owner of Lost Leaf with his wife Lauren, said they wanted to experiment with reopening the bar again on Oct. 31. With a DJ on-site for entertainment, he said it went rather smoothly.
“We just wanted to make sure all of our procedures were in place, we got approved by the Health Department and the liquor department,” Eric said.
The bar will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Saturday. Masks are to be worn at all times except when eating or drinking. The capacity is also to be at a limit of 30 people.
The bar will go with outdoor-only options for their business right now, having outdoor tables and people outside will be the model for now.
Drinks and food will be ordered through a service window and customers are allowed inside to use the restroom only.
There are many more businesses that have reopened since the pandemic hit, and it is a bittersweet experience.
Zen Thai Cafe is one of those local businesses that was impacted about 10 months ago. This pandemic has taken a toll on small businesses, and for the staff at Zen, it is personal.
Rachel McAuley, the owner of Zen Thai Cafe, said, “It’s so emotional for me. It has been very tough, We’ll take any help we can get.”
McAuley and her restaurant were the first to apply for a temporary outdoor patio through the new program that was recently provided by the City of Phoenix. With open-air dining and social distancing outdoors, she said people will feel more comfortable going out to dine.
Zen Thai is currently operating at a reduced capacity due to Coronavirus-related restrictions. Through the program that was offered to small businesses around downtown Phoenix, the city is issuing an “Emergency Declaration Outdoor Dining Administrative Temporary Use Permit” (ATUP) at no cost at all.
The program helps businesses save approximately $3,500 in all plans and permitting fees.
Instead of going through a use-permit hearing that can take about four months, the new program permit can take about three weeks and it only goes through city staff.
Contact the reporter at kasolori@asu.edu.
