Outdoor Dining Poses Challenges For Some Restaurants In CT

CONNECTICUT — Restaurant business representatives expressed concern that outdoor dining wouldn’t be feasible or cost-effective for many eateries across the state, especially those in urban areas where outdoor space is in short supply. The concerns were brought up during a round table discussion with the Reopen Connecticut Business Advisory Group.

“We appreciate and understand the phase-in and the gesture but it’s not working for all of our folks and municipalities in the same way,” said Dan Meiser, chairman of the Connecticut Restaurant Association and member of the advisory council.

The restaurant industry accounts for about 12 percent of all Connecticut unemployment claims since the pandemic shutdown began, said David Lehman, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

Decisions regarding phased business reopening are first and foremost made with the public health impact in mind, Lehman said. That is why Lamont’s administration decided to hold-off on reopening movie theaters where many people would be in close indoor proximity for an extended period of time. Closing movie theaters accounted for about 1,000 unemployment claims.

“They are our community they are a big part of our economy we thought opening them up in Phase 1 with the protections was a very smart thing to do,” Lehman said about the outdoor dining decision.

Gov. Ned Lamont said during his Wednesday news conference that he was erring on the side of caution when it came to restaurants because the risk for coronavirus transmission is significantly lower outdoors compared to an indoor space.

State Rep. Paul Formica (R-East Lyme) who owns a restaurant said he was hopeful the administration would be open to considering the June 3 date for 50-percent indoor dining capacity. At the same time he didn’t want to sacrifice the July and August dining season due to a reopening misstep.

Many restaurants don’t have an outdoor patio area and small patios may not be a cost-effective practice, Meiser said. He spoke about an Indian food restaurant he frequents where the owner has space for three outdoor tables. The owner decided he won’t put tables outside and instead will maintain his takeout business.

Outdoor dining is highly dependent on good weather and there is a strong chance of rain during late May and early June, he said.

The forecast in southern Connecticut calls for rain Monday May 18 through Thursday May 21, according to the National Weather Service.

“That is why we feel so strongly that having control limited safe indoor dining shortly after the May 20 date… we’ve put forth the date of June 3 which is a full 14 days after the May 20 date,” Meiser said.

Another obstacle is dealing with certain zoning rules in municipalities, Meiser said. Gov. Ned Lamont signed an executive order that allows towns and cities to expedite zoning changes for outdoor dining.

Some towns like Stonington have come up with a quick and efficient process to allow restaurants to have outside dining areas, but that’s not the case across the board, Meiser said.

“We’ve heard folks talk about potentially not being able to open their patios until the end of May if they do in fact get approved,” he said.

Restaurant owners know business as usual where people are standing three deep at the bar in big crowds isn’t going to happen anytime in the near future, Meiser said.

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Common sense prevails for safety at reopening

Reopening advisory member Oni Chukwu said that the group and state has provided a lot of guidance to specific businesses about what measures they can take to keep their employees and customers safe, but the list is by no means exhaustive.

“Common sense at the end of day wins it,” he said.

Business owners following rules will help save lives as the reopening occurs; the state will only be as strong as its weakest link, he said.

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association has partnered with the state to help distribute masks to small businesses. CBIA CEO Joe Brennan said Lamont was more liberal in defining what qualified as an essential business during the shutdown, which helped the economy and also provided more experience in how to safely run a business operation.

Anecdotally speaking there were some reports of infections at some businesses at the beginning of the pandemic, but those reports seem to have subsided after Lamont’s mask mandate. Brennan said.

Still, there is concern about the shutdown’s effects on the economy.

“We are extremely concerned about the overall economy… a lot of people were thinking it would be three to four weeks and now we are at two months,” he said.