Will Outdoor Dining Become Permanent In East Brunswick?

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Outdoor dining skyrocketed across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, the Township is discussing the idea of making outdoor dining permanent for local restaurants in East Brunswick.

At the last Council meeting, attorney Michael Baker informed that the state legislature has extended the ability of restaurants to have outdoor dining and serve alcohol to November.

Council President James Wendell wondered if East Brunswick could make outdoor dining a permanent feature in the township.

“A lot of these businesses have thrived and survived with this, and it’s become the new normal,” Wendell said. “I think it makes a lot of people more comfortable.”

Township Clerk Nannette Perry said businesses would have to amend their liquor licenses to include the outside space.

The township would have to adopt an ordinance and get approval from New Jersey’s Division of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC), Baker said.

Officials would have to work with the ABC to redraw the map and apply for an extension, the attorney said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor dining became an important feature for the restaurant industry, which barely managed to survive.

But the winter months brought further uncertainty as plunging temperatures made outdoor dining untenable, while the indoor dining cap remained. Then came the omicron variant.

With COVID-19 restrictions relaxed, increasing food prices and staff shortages further threaten the restaurant industry that’s trying to bounce back.

In townships like Moorestown, outdoor dining is now a permanent fixture, with the Council amending township code last November, allowing restaurants to establish outdoor dining within certain parameters and conditions.

What do you think? Should outdoor dining become permanent in East Brunswick? Let us know in the comments below.

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