Outdoor dining helped save some restaurant businesses during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, when community health regulations prohibited indoor dining. Now, Virginia’s Arlington County is among the D.C.-area jurisdictions moving to make outdoor seating permanent.
There are about 100 restaurants in the county with temporary outdoor seating areas, developed during the pandemic — some occupy sidewalk space, others spill into parking lots.
Permits for the temporary outdoor spaces will expire Aug. 15, but at an Arlington Committee of 100 meeting on Wednesday evening, the group said the county is committed to helping restaurants smoothly transition from temporary to permanent outdoor dining areas.
“We want to create a clear pathway forward for outdoor cafes and current permit holders to transition from the TOSA (temporary outdoor seating area) era into a more permanent outdoor cafe program,” said Brett Wallace of the Arlington County Planning Division.
While the temporary permits expire on Aug. 15, new permanent zoning permits may not be available until November. However, Wallace told the meeting the county will begin reaching out to restaurants in July, providing them the necessary information to apply for the proper permits.
“The goal is not to have anybody be completely shut down on August 15th. The goal is to work with each of the applicants to come into compliance and to obtain the necessary permits needed,” said Wallace.
It’s good news to Grace Shea, executive vice president of her family restaurant operation Lebanese Taverna, which has three locations in Arlington and 14 others across the D.C. area. She said the temporary outdoor seating areas helped keep the business alive during the pandemic.
“Between takeout and those outdoor cafes, we really wouldn’t still be here … they were lifesavers for us, our family, our employees, and they continue to be really important parts of our business,” said Shea.
The outdoor restaurant seating has its detractors among residents who said some of the outdoor arrangements can be difficult to walk around, especially for those with limited mobility. But others said the outdoor cafes provide a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere to their neighborhoods.
Shea told the meeting that diners at Lebanese Taverna especially enjoy eating outside.
“There are many nights where we have seats inside, but we have a line of people wanting to sit outside and it’s really kind of a hard thing because once people sit outside, they don’t want to leave,” said Shea.
The county will begin reaching out to restaurants to begin the permitting process in July.
