By Staff
September 12, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It took a long time to actually get PopUp patios operating in the city.
Outdoor dining – where few found the passing traffic to be a problem.
The first was at what used to be the Test Kitchen on Brant Street – they closed but not because of the PopUp.
Papa Giuseppe’s moved into the location and put up a PopUp patio that was popular.
Then the Coop that set up shop in what used to be the Rude Native location put a PopUp outside their restaurant on Brant Street.
The city wants to know what the public thinks of the things.
They weren’t obtrusive and they weren’t inexpensive to install. Took the city years to make a decision and the uptake by the hospitality industry wasn’t all the high – just two locations.
The people who operate the restaurants that have PopUps outside would really like to city to lighten up on the rules and the paper work.
The survey is short – link to it is – you have until October 6th to say what you think.
Pop up patio’s can be great if they are done right which is not the case in Burlington. These establishments are licenced and servers have to go onto an unlicensed sidewalk. There is also the chance of collisions with people on the sidewalk. In other towns I have been in the patio’s are attached to the building with the sidewalks going around them on the outside. There is a fence to protect pedesrians from traffic.