City of Chicago reaches compromise to keep outdoor dining on Clark Street in River North
The popular program was set to be scrapped this year, after pushback from some businesses upset about street closures.
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The popular program was set to be scrapped this year, after pushback from some businesses upset about street closures.
The popular program was set to be scrapped this year, after pushback from some businesses upset about street closures.
The program began during the pandemic, so restaurants could serve enough customers to stay open.
However, patrons are mixed on hanging out these days in a tent just to eat or drink.
Year-round outdoor dining is a trend that picked up during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic – and many Chicagoans want to keep it. CBS 2's Jermont Terry reports.
This vote would make the plan permanent.
"We would literally not be here without having the expanded outdoor dining program," said Hagen Dost, owner of Dovetail Brewery in the North Center neighborhood.
The City Council License Committee is expected to vote Tuesday on a plan to make permanent an outdoor dining program that helped Chicago restaurants and bars survive the pandemic.
Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced an ordinance that keeps the expanded dining, but will give aldermen the power to approve patio permits based on specific requirements.
It's patio season in Chicago, but the future of some pandemic-era outdoor dining areas may be in jeopardy thanks to a new proposal. CBS 2's Charlie De Mar spoke to one bar owner who said it could mean last call for his business.
If you don't mind the cold, you can enjoy Chicago Alfresco Week.
