Today is the day that restaurants and coffee shops in Saratoga Springs can spill out onto the sidewalks and even into parking spaces in the streets. Under a city ordinance that allows shops to expand their eating space out-of-doors, restaurants, coffee shops and similar establishments may set up tables and chairs on wide sidewalks, in grass by the streets or even in the parking spaces on the street, if they have gotten the permits to do so.
Although city officials said they would make it as easy as possible to get the permits, the question of who will take advantage is still open, and can the program be extended beyond its June 30 deadline?
A story from the Saratoga Journalism Collaborative discusses these questions. They write:
Restaurateurs like Ryan McFadden, owner of Henry Street Tap Room and Flat Bread Social, wondered if it will be worth investing in outdoor seating as he did last year. He says he put $15,000 last year into speakers, tables, chairs, and heaters to make outdoor seating comfortable and is considering investing thousands more this year.
'But what if the city doesn't extend our permits in June? I have to ask myself if I want to put this extra money into the space. With business as slow as it is during COVID, I won't be able to make this up in just a couple of months.'”
Read the full story, by Dan Forbush and Ethan Merrill Brouder here.
FoothillsBusinessDaily.com has joined with the Saratoga Journalism Collaborative (SJC) to bring in-depth public interest stories from Saratoga Springs and surrounding areas to our readers. The SJC produces work by students with oversight and coaching from professionals in journalism and communications. For more, read here.
For FoothillsBusinessDaily coverage of this, read here.