S.J. street closure to accommodate outdoor dining
San Pedro Square sites get to spread out starting today through September
San Jose is joining the many cities shutting down streets to allow restaurants to expand their alfresco dining options during the coronavirus era.
Starting this morning, San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets will close to vehicular traffic. Street trees and barriers should be in place well before San Pedro Square restaurants start serving lunch.
The alfresco dining program will remain in place through at least September, according to the city and the San Jose Downtown Association.
“We’re all very, very excited that the city is allowing us to shut down the street and activate this,” said Sushi Confidential owner Randy Musterer, who had just met Tuesday afternoon with fellow restaurateurs to review the final plans. “I think it’s going to be a destination.”
Even though his restaurant has a 5,000-square-foot patio, social distancing limits the number of customers he can seat, so he will be among those taking advantage of the street
space.
Previously, closures of this stretch of San Pedro Street had been limited to San Pedro Square celebrations and activities during the days leading up to events like the Super Bowl in 2016 and the College Football National Championship in 2019.
In the weeks since outdoor
dining has been allowed in Santa Clara County, restaurants here have taken advantage of sidewalk and
front patio options and, in the case of The Old Spaghetti Factory, a small back parking lot.
On Fridays, the street will be cleared to make way for the weekly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. farmers market, with plenty of social distancing
for vendors and customers. After the market closes at 2, the restaurant realignment will be restored, the Downtown Association said.