Local restaurants prepare for return of outdoor diningDate: 2/18/2022 WESTERN MASS. – Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants have implemented outdoor dining as a way to attract more customers and keep their businesses afloat. With warmer days on the horizon, local restaurants prepare for their return of outdoor dining this upcoming season and its continuation moving forward.
Although some spots are more equipped with space and staff, Mayor William Sapelli of Agawam, said that so far, they haven’t had any major issues with outdoor dining. In fact, he said they are hopeful to make outdoor dining an official part of their landscape.
“[We have] been fortunate in Agawam,” Sapelli said. “Agawam is unique. We don’t have a lot of chain [restaurants], we have a lot of family owned [restaurants].”
He estimated that about 90 percent of the restaurants, with a few exceptions, are mom-and-pops.
When the pandemic first began, Sapelli said these restaurants were limited to about 50 percent, as those who gathered inside had to maintain a significant, physical distance. By creating the outdoor space, the remaining 50 percent was covered – making it whole again, Sapelli said. As a result, the restaurants were able to make a profit.
One issue, as mentioned by Sapelli, is that some restaurants don’t have the space to accommodate outdoor dining. For those who fell in this category but still wanted to offer it, Sapelli assured that the town worked closely to evaluate and assist in making it work.
He went on to say that another concern with limited space has forced some restaurants to take up parking spaces – creating a safety issue. To ensure all restaurants can safely offer this form of dining, Sapelli said they have had to look at every place carefully.
“We are doing what we can for small businesses,” Sapelli said, such as the City Council expediting the process and pushing through the continuation for outdoor dining. He believes their overall success in town stems from the teamwork of everyone involved, along with their work in conjunction with the council.
Currently, Sapelli said they are waiting for the legislature to extend the temporary outdoor dining laws for a third year. He expressed his confidence in this extension, due to the pandemic continuation.
In Holyoke, Aaron Vega, director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development said, “[We] are excited to get going in the spring,” although it will be “more of a permitting process.” As the Massachusetts state laws allowing outdoor dining are currently being rescinded, Vega said that Holyoke is trying to streamline permitting to allow for this luxury to continue.
Over the past two years, Vega said they have added some new restaurants – most of which offer outdoor dining. Additionally, a lot of their staple restaurants such as JP’s, created outdoor patio space for their customers. Vega said this allows restaurants to expand their offerings and maintain business.
One concern that the city plans to tackle in 2022 is the outdoor dining on High and Main streets. As these roads typically generate a lot of traffic, Vega said they need to make sure their outdoor spaces and crossings are safe.
He explained that a challenge in Holyoke is that there is only one restaurant per block, compared to nearby towns such as Northampton. “It’s not as safe for the public,” Vega added
To offer safe spaces for customers to enjoy their meals, the town has designated area parks and opened picnic tables, solely for dining purposes.
Additionally, this year, the city will be looking into locations that can host food trucks. Vega said they are trying to follow the lead of neighboring towns such as Springfield and Chicopee, as they both have designated locations for food trucks. He believes that this will create another safe option for people to gather and dine.
“It could be in parks or properties owned by the city,” Vega said. Currently, they are looking for a few locations on High Street on city owned land.
As mentioned by Vega, Northampton has several restaurants with a large portion offering outdoor dining. Alan Wolf, chief of staff and Annie Lesko, administration, licensing and economic development coordinator in Northampton, said the town plans to set up outdoor dining once again this spring season.
“It will be exactly the same as before – what we’ve done in years past,” said Wolf.
Last year, they formulated “Summer on Strong” – an increase in outdoor dining options, paired with entertainment on Strong Street. Due to its popularity, they are hoping to continue this offering.
“The outdoor dining experience is one that people like,” said Wolf. “[Being able to] sit outside is a big feature and it brings a lot of people in.”
Prior to the pandemic, he said outdoor dining was “almost nonexistent,” in Northampton. Lesko added on to this point and said, “It was only limited to two or three tables pushed up to the [side of] restaurant. It wasn’t as elaborate,” as it is now, with an entire street shut down.
Wolf told Reminder Publishing that they have faced some challenges with limited staffing, making it difficult to expand their services. Additionally, he said a few spots had “physical challenges,” with accommodating this additional space, but assured that they made it work for anyone that wanted to.
Wayne Feiden, director of planning and sustainability for the city of Northampton said, “We have already, many years ago and well before COVID, changed our zoning to allow outdoor dining of restaurants by right in every commercial area of the city.”
He added that in 2025, Northampton plans for the redesign of Main Street that will potentially allow for more space for outdoor dining and public activity.
During the Northampton City Council meeting on Jan. 20, members voted to authorize Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra to make changes to the public way to facilitate outdoor dining in the Downtown Central Business District and the Florence General Business District. Lesko explained that without this authorization, Sciarra wouldn’t be able to make these decisions based on a myriad of city ordinances. She added that without this suspension, there would be a lengthy process which would include public hearings.
Northampton plans to open their outdoor dining in the first week of April, as this is roughly the same time it began last year.
In West Springfield, Mayor William Reichelt said their outdoor dining will continue as is. Although there may be some changes on necessary licenses, he plans to expand upon the current successes.
Reichelt views the past two summers as a “test” to outdoor dining in town. Overall, he noticed a positive result for both businesses and the community. “It’s good for the community and good for businesses.”
“I, myself, prefer outdoor dining when the weather is nice,” said Reichelt. He believes that weather is evidently an important factor, coinciding with the outdoor dining experience.
Vega reiterated Reichelt’s point. He believes that more people tend to visit restaurants that offer outdoor dining. “It allows restaurants to expand [their] offerings.”
Vega continued, “Even if the pandemic restrictions end, [some] people will still be uneasy.” For those that are reluctant about eating at a restaurant, outdoor dining provides them with “alternative options.”
Otto Frizzell, town clerk of West Springfield, anticipates the state’s extension of outdoor dining, due to the ongoing pandemic. If the temporary exemptions were to go away, Frizzell said a lot of places that have seen successes would revert back.
Frizzell explained that a large part of outdoor dining is the liquor license that the state oversees. With this, Frizzell said there are some hurdles to get over in order for alcohol to be served outdoors. He explained that sometimes, the rules that stem from these processes can be “strict.” While some places may have approval at the local level, he believes they have found a good market and value in this.
“A lot of pieces are beyond our control,” said Frizzell. As the pandemic continues, he said rules and permits change and are extended every few months. “We adjust as they come.”
For all the restaurants that wanted outdoor dining, Frizzell said they didn’t deny approval to anyone. Although some places opted not to have outdoor dining, the ones that do have it, appreciate it, said Frizzell.
At this time, Frizzell said that no zoning bylaws have had to be adjusted in order to accommodate outdoor dining. He added that the Town Council had discussed this during their last term, however, he “wouldn’t be surprised” if moderations or interest in the zoning bylaws came from the local level.
Currently, West Side, among other towns across the region, await the state’s announcement on the extension of outdoor dining. Reichelt remains hopeful that the decision will be made before summer.
Town officials share a common belief in the fact that outdoor dining has been nothing but successful.
“It’s an attraction for everyone,” stated Vega.
With a blurred end to the pandemic in sight, Sapelli believes outdoor dining is the one good thing to come out of it. He described it as another attraction that people enjoy going to, and believes it will not only continue in the future, but increase as well.
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