RESTAURANTS PIVOT TO PATIOS
Jed Loney works on the patio at Bridgette Bar on Thursday. The city has been inundated with patio permit requests this spring as eateries move to outdoor dining amid COVID-19 restrictions.
As restaurants and bars pivot to outdoor dining with the recent closure of indoor service, applications to the city for pop-up patios have already surpassed last season.
With patio-friendly weather expected on the weekend — after less than ideal temperatures last weekend — Ernie Tsu, president of the Alberta Hospitality Association and owner of Trolley 5 Brewpub on 17th Avenue, hopes the city will expedite the patio application process to give businesses a leg up.
“Restaurants are mobilizing as fast as they can to get their patio permits. Hopefully, the city can come through for the restaurants that are still waiting,” Tsu said Thursday.
“Restaurants are getting heaters in and getting umbrellas ready for what's going to be a beautiful weekend … Some restaurants are still barely hanging on and they need to get whatever revenue they can through their doors.”
The City of Calgary began accepting applications for temporary and permanent patios at the end of February, but the real surge in those seeking permits came as the provincial government announced eateries would be required to close indoor dining at noon on April 9. The reimposed restrictions are meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 as Alberta grapples with a third wave.
Outdoor patios are permitted to remain open with measures in place, in addition to takeout and delivery. Sonya Sharp, leader of the city's business and local economy team, said there are 140 permits in the queue and another 77 already approved.
Last year, a total of 116 patios were installed. After the first wave of COVID-19 infections in late spring, Alberta's economic relaunch strategy allowed for limited indoor and outdoor service.
“We expect to continue seeing more (applications) as the weather gets nicer and folks want to be outside,” said Sharp. “The city is doing the best that they can to support the things we can control.”
Permit fees have been waived again this year and there are new processes that will accelerate the installation, Sharp said. The surge in applications could slow things slightly but the installation of popup patios is expected to take up to two weeks.
The temporarily extended patio at Donna Mac should be ready to go for the weekend, but owner Jeff Jamieson said he's still expecting revenue will be down 50 per cent from what it was with limited indoor dining.
“But it allows us to keep some employees employed and stay in the mix, keep people thinking about us, which in our industry is very important,” said Jamieson.
“We're getting good at getting creative and finding ways to bring money in with restrictions but the longer it goes, the more pain it's going to cause.”
Tsu said at least 45 per cent of restaurants in the industry don't have permanent patios, so he expects many more will submit applications. Even with patios, however, most eateries can only run at about 25 per cent capacity.
YYC Pasta Bar on 17th Avenue doesn't have a patio, but owner Yash Sharma said he's been working hard to get one approved. He's gotten caught up in paperwork trying to get all the right people to sign off, but he's worried the process is taking too long while his doors are shut.
“While waiting, this next weekend is going to be gone. What am I going to get trying to run a business on takeout only, because it's all I have right now? But I don't have another option,” he said.
Outside Calgary, restaurants such as Bo's Bar & Stage in Red Deer have also worked quickly to adapt to the restrictions. Bo's has been permitted to extend its front patio and open additional outdoor space in the back of the building.
“The downside with the patios is that we're weather dependent. Basing things on Alberta weather is kind of scary,” said Bo's owner Brennen Wowk.