City street dining draws more patrons
Milwaukee restaurants expand dining capacity with more alternative seating during pandemic
In normal times, Dorsia restaurant can accommodate just under 200 people, including employees.
But, Milwaukee restaurants are required to operate at half their capacity to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s why Dorsia operator Jeno Cataldo quickly took advantage of a new city program that speeds up the process of obtaining street parking lanes for expanded outdoor dining.
Dorsia recently doubled its outdoor dining to around 30 seats by using two metered parking spots in front of the Italian restaurant, 1307 E. Brady St.
“When you can turn four extra ta
bles every hour,” Cataldo said, “that really helps.”
Other Milwaukee restaurants – downtown, on the east side and other areas – are using the Active Streets for Businesses Program.
The pilot program, which the Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett approved in June, suspends code and permit requirements to allow expedited city approval for restaurants to use streets and sidewalks for outdoor dining. It also waives fees for those businesses.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say dining with outdoor seating – with tables spaced at least 6 feet apart – is safer than indoor dining in terms of reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Restaurant operators are taking other steps, including masks for employees and increased cleaning, to help prevent the pandemic's spread.
Also, the council and Barrett just approved a new ordinance requiring masks in public spaces – with exceptions for eating and drinking.
Milwaukee restaurants and taverns were allowed by the Barrett administration to begin operating on June 5 with 25% capacity, with that later increased to 50% capacity.
Some since have had temporary shutdowns because staffers tested positive for COVID-19. Other restaurants, including some well-reviewed ones, have closed permanently because of the pandemic's economic effects.
Keeping diners safe from traffic
Many restaurant and tavern operators say they need more outdoor space to survive – and that often means expanding beyond sidewalks and private patios.
So far, the Department of Public Works has received 50 applications with 14 approved, said Brian DeNeve, the department's marketing and communications officer.
The vast majority of applications have come from the aldermanic district which covers Milwaukee's east side and part of Riverwest, DeNeve said. The others are from districts that include downtown, Walker's Point, Bay View and Washington Heights.
Applicants include businesses on North Old World Third Street, between West State Street and West Juneau Avenue.
The Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District worked with restaurateurs there to create a template for street dining that can be used in other parts of the city, said Matt Dorner, the district's economic development director.
That stretch of the street has narrow sidewalks, he said, limiting their use for dining. So, using the street parking spaces is important, Dorner said.
To help out, the district is buying heavy-duty planters that restaurants and taverns can use to block off the street dining areas to ensure customers and employees are safe from traffic.
Planters and other barriers are being used in place of wooden decks, which the city normally requires for parking lane dining. That deck requirement was suspended as part of the Active Streets program.
For Cataldo, that means a savings of perhaps $2,000 to $3,000 to create street dining space for Dorsia.
Also, the seating could be more quickly assembled, said Cataldo, who uses steel railings to help protect the space from traffic.
Street dining continues to expand
Dorsia opened the street dining space on July 3, about a week after the program took effect, Cataldo said. He praised the city Department of Public Works for quickly processing the application.
Also, five East Side Business Improvement District restaurants and taverns – Hacienda Beer Co., Snack Boys, Hooligan's, Judy's On North and Axe Mke – are using concrete planters to convert parking lanes to street dining space under the Active Streets program, said Elizabeth Brodek, district executive director.
Meanwhile, the district is proceeding with plans to create carryout dining space for nearby restaurants on a sparsely used city-owned parking lot at 1915 E. North Ave.
The district obtained a grant to buy 10 picnic tables, which will be painted by artists, to provide dining space there.
That project, including sanitation expenses, will cost about $8,000, Brodek said.
The district, which is financed through assessments on neighborhood commercial property owners, could turn to a crowdfunding campaign to help pay that cost.
Also, the district might seek city permission to close part of East Ivanhoe
Place between Farwell and Prospect avenues, to provide more outdoor dining space during Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers games, she said. That would benefit both Hooligan's and Crossroads Collective food hall.
The district might pursue another possible evening street closing, of North Murray Avenue, between North and Thomas avenues, depending on feedback to the idea from that block's restaurant and tavern owners: Izzy Hops, Kawa Ramen and Sushi, Tavolino, Mr. Senor's and Paddy's Pub.
On Old Word Third Street, businesses planning to add street outdoor seating include Old German Beer Hall.
The city program will allow the beer hall to increase outdoor seating from 12 people to 40 people, said restaurant operator Hans Weissgerber III.
Returning to profitability while dealing with the pandemic and “often confusing” city public health orders has been a challenge, he said.
“Patrons have slowly begun returning and we have identified a preference for outdoor seating,” Weissgerber said.
The Active Streets program, sponsored primarily by Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic, grew out of the Complete Streets movement.
Complete Streets redesigns streets to reduce lanes for cars, while widening sidewalks, adding bike lanes and betteraccommodating mass transit.
Supporters say that make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, while also drawing more development.
“It's an opportunity to reclaim some of that street space and give it back to the pedestrians,” said Dorner, of the downtown business improvement district.