Patio Expansion- Still Vital Under Current Restrictions

Patio Expansion- Still Vital Under Current Restrictions

We’re very excited that BC is on the restart path by partially reopening indoor dining.  It’s an important step in getting back to enjoying pre-COVID life.

That said, expanded patio seating is still vital for businesses- even with partially reopened dining.

The summer months are when Marine Drive restaurants need to maximize their revenues, to get through the winter.  They need to have maximum seating capacity to ensure that make as much money as possible. 

The current Public Health Order has restrictions on seating- including a minimum 2 metre (6 foot) distance between dining parties- that means indoor dining capacity cannot be 100%.  The only way to get close to 100% seating capacity under the current Public Health order is to expand patio seating.

The only way to expand patio seating for Marine Drive restaurants is one-way Marine.

Restaurants on Marine Drive will be able to expand their patios by, at least, 5 tables.  While this doesn’t seem like a lot of tables, it represents enough revenue to pay expenses and set aside some money to cover their costs through the lean winter months.  In an industry as hand-to-mouth as the restaurant industry is, five tables are quite literally the difference between closing your doors or surviving. 

Patio expansion will ensure that our neighbours- who are the owners of these small businesses- continue to have their jobs.  It will also ensure the continued employment of over 1000 people- their staff members. 

We recognize that this isn’t an ideal plan- it will cause traffic disruptions, especially for residents. 

That said, one-way Marine Drive will ensure that your favourite Marine Drive eatery will get through the COVID restrictions intact and be able to survive through the winter.  This short-term pain will yield long-term gains- for Marine Drive and beyond.