Region, restaurants want more clarity on patio protocols
WATERLOO REGION — Glenn Smith is both pleased and perplexed.
Pleased, because the province has given him the green light to reopen the patio at Ethel’s Lounge on Friday, as pandemic restrictions in parts of Ontario ease.
Perplexed, because it’s not entirely clear what he’s allowed to do.
“Everyone seems to be winging it a little bit, and there will be mistakes on everybody’s part,” Smith said. “It’s like having a tournament or contest, and not knowing the rules before the tournament starts.”
On Monday, the province announced reopening protocols allowing restaurants, bars, food trucks and other food and drink establishments in certain parts of Ontario to offer outdoor dining on permanent, expanded and temporary patios. While Waterloo Region is included, other areas including Toronto and Hamilton will have to wait.
“We didn’t really have any advance warning,” said Smith, who’s hoping to expand his patio seating into his parking lot, with two-hour time slots for guests. “We’ll see how that goes. We may do that Friday and say ‘that was a disaster.’ ”
The province outlined regulations for patios, such as ensuring there’s at least two metres of space between patrons from different households and requiring reservations. But other specifics (are there maximum capacities, can patios be covered to a certain extent?) remain unclear.
“The whole thing is just a guessing game in terms of how it’s all going to play out,” said Court Desautels, chief
executive officer of The Neighbourhood Group, whose five restaurants in Guelph and Kitchener include Borealis Grille & Bar. “We want to operate to an extreme level of health and safety, and we just want to know what those guidelines are.”
While there’s a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure his patios can operate safely, Desautels said it’s worth it.
“It’s better than not being open, so it’s exciting for us.”
Municipal governments in Waterloo Region are working to make the approvals process as streamlined as possible for businesses looking to expand existing patios or create new ones on sidewalks or parking lots, providing landlords approve as well where necessary.
“There’s been quite a number of businesses reaching out, inquiring what their options are,” said Justin McFadden, the City of Waterloo’s executive director of economic development.
But even the region’s chief administrative officer, Mike Murray, said municipalities are still awaiting further instruction from the province on how businesses should set up their patios. “There are some guidelines around these but I think there’s room for some more clarity,” he said during a Tuesday briefing.
While Murray said it’s possible people from areas where patios aren’t yet allowed may travel to Waterloo Region to enjoy them here, the reality is there aren’t an abundance of options.
“With the guidelines in place, the capacity is going to be quite limited,” Murray predicted. “If you look around Waterloo Region and think about how many spots to sit at an outdoor patio exist, it’s relatively limited.”
McFadden said the City of Waterloo will likely start accepting applications Thursday for temporary use permits allowing patio expansions; council is expected to approve the move at a special meeting that morning. The goal is to quickly process permits, which would be in effect until Jan. 1, 2021. In lieu of a fee, the city is asking businesses to make a small donation to local hospitals.
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said he hopes expanded patios will help carry restaurants through until the fall.
“I think this will have a longterm impact. The province is saying all of this is temporary right now. There will be lessons learned and some things we will tweak, but I think this will drive more of us outside. I think it will fundamentally change the culture around some of these things.”
Vrbanovic pointed to Europe, where al fresco dining on heated patios extends well into the cooler months. “I hope we can do more of that kind of thing.”
With files from Catherine Thompson, Record staff