Denver Launches Program To Help Businesses With Social Distancing

DENVER, CO — The City and County of Denver has announced a temporary program to help bars, restaurants and other businesses reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative, which is still in its preliminary stages, aims to assist businesses that need to expand into outdoor areas to follow social distancing guidelines, officials said.

Some proposals include the expansion into adjacent parking lots, streets and sidewalks.

By May 25, Gov. Jared Polis said he hopes to have enough data on the spread of the virus to decide whether it's safe enough to reopen restaurants.

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To gauge interest, Denver has created a webpage where eligible businesses can submit a proposal for the city to review. Considerations for every proposal will include plans and accommodations for safety, mobility, and local and emergency access, officials said.

“Business owners need time to prepare for re-opening, and we want to set them up for success as soon as dine-in becomes permissible again,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in a statement. “We also want to ensure it’s safe for employees and customers to return to these businesses when that time comes.”

Eligible businesses include restaurants, bars, cafes, coffee shops, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distillery pubs, wineries, tasting rooms and other similar places of "public accommodation offering food or alcohol beverages for on-premises consumption," officials said.

Once approved, the program would be available to businesses through Sept. 7, but the city may choose to extend the program.

“Expanding outdoor seating will give more guests the opportunity to enjoy their favorite eating and drinking establishments in a safe way and support these businesses that are so vital to our neighborhoods. We are thrilled that Denver leaders have moved quickly to launch this effort, and we hope it can become a successful model for restaurants and bars across the state,” said Sonia Riggs, president and chief executive officer of the Colorado Restaurant Association.

Denver is working with the Colorado Restaurant Association and EatDenver to host a virtual information session from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Members of Denver’s restaurant and bar community can register through this link.

More information about the program is available here. The city began accepting interest forms Monday.

The Downtown Denver Partnership issued a letter to Hancock earlier this month that called for the closure of some city streets to help local businesses comply with social distancing guidelines.

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