Much Support For Hinsdale Outdoor Dining: Official

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale has found a lot of support for its outdoor dining program, which started during the pandemic, an official said Thursday.

Under the program, the village has allowed downtown restaurants to set up seating on streets and sidewalks.

The village recently surveyed residents about the program, receiving more than 500 responses.

"That's a lot of responses," Village President Tom Cauley said at Thursday's Village Board meeting. "We're going to tabulate the data, but it's mostly favorable. More than mostly, it's uniformly favorable."

Finance Director Alison Brothen said the village's restaurant tax income is meeting pre-pandemic levels, largely because of the success of the outdoor dining program.

"Growth in this area has been less robust as it could have been due to the closure of the Oasis," she said.

The Hinsdale Oasis closed in fall 2021 as part of the state's Interstate 294 reconstruction project.