Elmhurst Outdoor Dining Changes May Stay

ELMHURST, IL – Like many towns, Elmhurst loosened its rules for outdoor dining during the pandemic.

Some of those changes may become permanent.

Since last summer, a city committee has grappled with the issues of such dining. In January, it made a number of recommendations:

• Allow liquor establishments to set up cafés without the required fencing.
• Allow restaurants to expand their outdoor footprint of their cafés with the written permission of neighboring businesses.
• Let restaurants use their private parking lots to expand outdoor seating.

At the same time, the committee recommended ending the practice of allowing tents for cafés and beer gardens. Members said they preferred owners to build permanent structures.

The committee also advised against allowing restaurants to use on-street parking spaces for outdoor dining.

In response to a city survey, restaurants gave mixed reviews on the use of public parking spaces for outdoor dining.

The committee's memo said people enjoy the extra space for dining. But it said the drawbacks were the reduction of highly sought-after, on-street parking, the impact on overall aesthetics and the perceived unfairness.

The survey drew many comments from restaurants on the city's loosening of outdoor dining rules. The city's information did not indicate the names of commenters.

One restaurant owner wrote, "Eliminating parking is a detriment to the success of my business and others around me. Convenience is everything in a grab-and-go-type business. But allowing the parking spaces to be turned into dining could destroy my business."

Others praised the city's outdoor dining program.

"It's offered our customers an alternative space to enjoy their coffee, sweets and company," one owner said. "It's ideal for families with children (more space) and for anyone more comfortable being outside of a building."

The City Council was slated to consider the recommendations at its meeting earlier this week. But the issue was sent back to the City Council's Development, Planning and Zoning Committee for more discussion.