Could street cafes help Kansas City restaurants rebound from the coronavirus shutdown?
Westport and other entertainment districts in Kansas City could look drastically different in the near future if a measure that would turn closed streets into outdoor cafes is approved.
And the shift in thinking could help small businesses rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.
A street closure proposal would allow restaurants in Westport, the 18th & Vine Jazz District, the Power & Light District, Zona Rosa and other areas to offer more open-air dining, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
Sidewalk and street cafes could become the norm throughout the city. Social distancing is the objective.
With support from City Council members Andrea Bough and Eric Bunch, Lucas plans to introduce this week an ordinance to temporarily close some streets and create pedestrian-friendly spaces that draw crowds to small businesses.
Westport business owners approached Lucas with the idea. Details were still being hammered out earlier this week, a spokeswoman for the Westport Regional Business League said.
“It’s just kind of a way of rethinking the public realm,” Lucas told The Star Editorial Board.
Restricting traffic to encourage socially distanced outdoor dining is a promising idea as the city wrestles with questions about how to reopen businesses safely in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The City Council should allow restaurants to use tents, parking lots and other outdoor spaces as dining areas on a temporary basis.
If successful, outdoor dining could be extended permanently.
The proposed ordinance builds on fundamental changes to how Kansas City utilizes public spaces. In December, the City Council approved an ordinance allowing parklets and cafes on public streets and sidewalks.
The latest measure would expedite opportunities for businesses to set up shop outdoors, Bough said.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many cities to reimagine how streetscapes could be used. Cincinnati, Tampa and areas in San Mateo County in California have shut down streets to create outdoor dining spaces for restaurants and bars.
Some cities have offered no-cost outdoor dining permits good for 90 days. In Brookhaven, Georgia, a city just north of Atlanta, requests are processed within 48 hours.
Most restaurants in Kansas City will open their dining rooms to the public for the first time in months on Friday.
Strict social distancing guidelines will be in place. Restaurant tables must be 10 feet apart. Buffets won’t be permitted. Workers interacting with the public will be required to wear masks.
Sanitation is a priority. And customers and employees with a fever or other symptoms will be asked to leave.
It’s too early to tell whether diners will flock to eateries in droves for a sit-down meal in the near future. Curbside takeout remains a safer option. And residents should still avoid large gatherings and limit exposure in an ongoing effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
But with many clamoring to reopen local businesses, creative outdoor dining options could give restaurant owners a fighting chance as they scramble to recover from the devastating impact of a nearly two-month shutdown. Street cafes would allow restaurants to serve more customers and reduce some of the risks associated with confined indoor spaces.
Patio-style seating could help alleviate health and safety concerns and boost economic activity in Kansas City.
The City Council should move quickly to close streets and allow open-air dining as Kansas City tries to proceed with caution and prudently reopen during a pandemic.