Two Steveston businesses have been approved for expanded patios, allowing them to let more customers in now with COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions in place.

The Porthole and Steveston Built Local Taphouse and Grill, both located on No. 1 Road in the heart of Steveston Village, have been allowed expanded their patio space.

Three other applications are in the hopper and there have also been three additional inquiries to the city about expanded patios.

Almost two weeks ago, council voted to allow an expedited process to let cafes, restaurants and pubs expand existing patios onto sidewalks and other peripheral areas temporarily until the end of October.

The province also eased up its liquor licenses so they could be extended onto these expanded patio spaces.

The applications are taking just one to two days to process by the City of Richmond, explained city spokesperson Clay Adams.

The commitment was to do this quickly, Adams added.

As mandated by the provincial health officer, tables at food establishments must be six feet apart and can have a maximum of six people per table.

Original post:
Patios expanded at two Steveston pubs - Richmond News

Bars and restaurants in Toronto are preparing their patios in the hopes that dining on them this summer won't be cancelled.

Patios could open any day now as part of a move to Stage 2 of reopening the province, though current emergency orders will not lift until at least June 9.

Retail businesses have already been allowed to welcome customers back inside, but restaurants and bars have not been given the go-ahead for dine-in and patio service.

In preparation for reopening with physical distancing measures, staff at bars and restaurants in Toronto have not only been spiffing up their spaces and furniture but making sure that they're ready to comply with health and safety protocols when customers are allowed back into their businesses.

Legendary Yorkville hangout Hemingway's, which has been around for decades, has been rehauling all four floors of their restaurant including their multiple popular rooftop patios.

"We have completely redesigned our floor plan on all fourfloors, ensuring physical distancing between tables, and more specifically people seated at tables. We've also designated walkways to keep patrons that are coming onto the patio away from patrons already seated," says Daimin Bodnar of Hemingway's.

"We've changed the flow from a customer standpoint, all patrons will now exit the Rooftop Patio onto Old York Lane rather than the main door on Cumberland. This minimizes unnecessary contact between patrons. We've also re-engineered our service flow, and have moved our POS screens to allow servers and bartenders to physical distance."

Since Hemingway's is currently open for takeout, all staff are entering through a side entrance where they do a COVID-19 screening test "which consists of a temperature check and questions related to COVID-19," says Bodnar."They are then asked to sanitize and are provided a mask and gloves."

"There are sanitization stations all over the building and at all entrances and exits," he says.

"We have sourced excellent disinfectants and have increased the frequency of cleans. We have followed guidelines to reopen in BC as they opened a couple of weeks back, we eagerly await the specific guidelines for Ontario, but we will be able to adapt very quickly if necessary."

Hemingway's posted a photo of what their new physically distanced patio might look like once it reopens, and people can't wait to enjoy it, with comments like,"Let's get itttttt. More room to dance around the tables," "OMG cant wait, have missed that patio so much."

"Looks epic," "Im hoping to be one of the lucky few up there for my 30th birthday on June 27th. Fingers crossed," and "I love this lay out."

Plans have been announced to help restaurants and bars expand their patios to make up for the lack of capacity due to physical distancing.

El Catrin started a weekend curbside taco takeout service on June 5, but has also been gearing up to potentially open their patio.

"From a staff perspective, they launched a survey to see if their staff felt safe going back to work and had an overwhelmingly positive response. All staff have been asked to share their travel plans and are required to have their temperature checked upon arrival for their shift," says a spokesperson for El Catrin.

"They've set up the patio floorplan for social distancing so that guests have enough space while they're seated. There's signage on the floor keeping guests six feetapart, sanitizers at the entry and exits, and the staff are all equipped with masks and gloves to be worn during their shifts.

"The entry and exit points are one-way only and the bathrooms are being sanitized every fifteenminutes."

"Almost everyone who gets to take out from us has said they will come and support us on our patio when it opens," says Jesse Ritchie of Score on King.

"We are in a lucky position of having our Vancouver location open for threeweeks now so we've been through what needs to happen to open Toronto so we are ready to open with confidence."

"We have built some partitions between the booths and already looked at maximizing our seating with the restrictions that will come into place."

Ritchie says they'll make any adjustments necessary to comply with restrictions that might differ from Vancouver's and here in Toronto, and that "Our staff are very excited to come back to work as well."

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This is how Toronto bars and restaurants are getting ready for patio season - blogTO

This relaxed setting is perfect for a meditation garden.YinYang/Getty Images

You have seen a number of pictures in this photo gallery showing scenes of people congregating on a patio, perhaps for a meal or for a party. In some of those pictures, the patios have been accessorized in a sophisticated fashion, culminating in examples of glitzy outdoor kitchens and the like.

With the present photo, we dial all of that back for a moment, doing a 180. Instead ofa social scene enhanced by fancy gadgets, we have a patio with a simple bench. From this bench, we look out over tranquil flower beds.

What a perfect place to relax and collect your thoughts! This isa patio designed with seclusion in mind. It is part of a meditation garden, where the eye falls upon plants such as Russian sage shrubs. This is a patio not for parties but for unwinding after a hard day at work.

More:
50 Outdoor Patio Ideas That Will Excite and Inspire You

Q. Ive got a problem I need you to solve. Each time it rains, a puddle develops on the outer edge of my circular patio. Its older concrete, and it appears the puddle is related to a crack thats above a low retaining wall the patio rests on. Can I just fill in where the puddle is, and all will be well? I am worried about the appearance of the patch. How might I disguise my attempt to stop the ponding water? I only want to fix this one time. What are my options? Amy P., Warrenton, Virgina

A. I see puddles frequently and even have the issue here at my own home where there are depressions in my asphalt driveway and where my front sidewalk meets my drive. (I didnt build the house I currently live in.)

The patio repair is not that difficult to do, but you threw in a wildcard with respect to what the repair will look like. You want your patio to look nice and not like a hodgepodge of different colors and textures. Judging from the excellent photos you sent, I can tell you it would be next to impossible to install a patch that blended in perfectly. (You can see all the photos at askthebuilder.com.)

Theres another issue in play. You mentioned theres a crack in the patio thats directly related to the low curved retaining wall. And you also want to make the repair once. Failure is not an option.

When you add all these pieces of the puzzle together, you only come up with one repair option in my book. You need to do a thin perhaps just 2 inches concrete overlay.

Concrete overlays can come in a variety of flavors. You can do one as thin as a coat of stucco. This means the overlay is really just fine sand and cement. Its possible to get the overlay as thin as 1/8 inch, but 1/4 inch would be an easier project to manage for the DIYer inside you.

If you hired me to write the simple set of specifications for your job so you could get really accurate bids and be sure the job would be done right, heres what Id do.

Id want the concrete overlay to be 2 inches thick where it starts at the outer edge of the concrete patio where it passes over the low retaining wall. Before I start to do the work, Id cut a scrap piece of wood 2 inches thick and place it on the outer edge of the patio. Then Id rest a straightedge on the small piece of wood.

Id want to check to see how thick the overlay would be when it got back to the house making sure the patio had a consistent slope of 1/8-inch per foot. This way rainwater would drain off the patio with ease. You can get by with 1/16 inch per foot, but it takes an expert concrete finisher to maintain this slope and not create a new puddle in the middle of the new overlay. After all, you want this repair done once.

The concrete would have small pencil reinforcing rods in it. These rods are 3/8 inch in diameter. Id prime and paint them with a rust-resistant paint before the job would begin, as I dont want the rods to start to deteriorate in case you broadcast salt on the patio in the winter. These rods must have at least 1/2 inch of concrete under them when the overlay is poured.

Id make sure the spacing of the rods was 2 feet on center in both directions. Imagine creating a giant piece of graph paper but using the steel rods as the lines. This steel ensures the overlay will stay together as one piece and not have settlement issues where part of the slab drops lower than an adjacent piece as is happening over the retaining wall.

The size of the stones in this concrete overlay is critical. Id not want any stone to be larger than 3/8 inch in diameter. Some gravel pits sell a gravel called pea gravel where the stones are round and about the size of small grapes, none being larger than 3/8 inch in diameter. You also can use small crushed gravel that is a similar size.

Id specify a seven-bag mix, which makes the concrete stronger than the minimum 4,000 pounds per-square-inch strength recommended for outdoor slabs in a cold climate. My specifications also would state to be sure to pressure wash the existing concrete patio to get a great bond between the old and new concrete.

Id list as an option the application of a thin layer of cement paint to the old, damp concrete before the pour. The steel rods make this quite problematic. If you have enough helpers present, you can do this cement paint application with them brushing it on the damp concrete just before its covered with the new overlay concrete. You make cement paint mixing pure Portland cement with water until its the consistency of normal paint.

Keep in mind you can add color to the concrete. You can buy dry-shake pigments and make your new patio look like leather or even the sky.

Subscribe to Tim Carters free newsletter and listen to his new podcasts at askthebuilder.com.

Excerpt from:
Ask the Builder: Fixing puddles on patios, driveways and slabs - The Spokesman-Review

ENDWELL (WBNG) -- Local musician Tyler Reed has changed the way he tours after the coronavirus pandemic forced him and his band, Second Suitor, to cancel upcoming concerts.

Back in January, Reed left his job at Broome-Tioga BOCES in pursuit of touring opportunities with the band in the Northeast and out west in California.

While the shows are no more, Reed's passion for music hasn't wavered or stopped.

"Music is the blood that pumps through my veins," he said. "Without it, I don't know what to do."

So what he decided to do was simple: drive-up concerts, which provide entertainment at a social distance.

"This is wonderful to be able to jump back into the world a little bit, and to bring some smiles to some people. I'm so excited people are happy about this idea," he said.

Reed has performed solo as he and the other band members are still trying to figure out the best way to rock on while also staying safe.

But for the concerts he has done, it's helped give him the energy he needs during a difficult time for many.

"As much as I love providing people with this outlet, this fun and this happiness, this is important to me and my mental health," Reed said. "Touring and playing music is all I am and all I do."

Family friends and "concert-goers" Michele and Chad Mapes enjoyed Reed's acoustic punk rock performance.

"It was fabulous," Michele said. "It kind of gives you a new perspective on different ways to do things you wouldn't ordinarily think of."

The tour not the traditional road trip of music, but one Reed thinks helps a little more during a time like this.

"This is kind of a way for me to tour still and promote...but also just promote happiness and being kind and making people smile."

For more coronavirus coverage, click here.

Read the original here:
Performing on patios: Musician brings concert to you - WBNG-TV

Cities around the world are having a look at it, but it will be a challenge.

Not long ago, everyone was excited to see Vilnius, Lithuania, take back the streets and give them to restaurants; now this is being looked at as a strategy for saving restaurants all over the world. In most cities, if the restaurants are open at all, there are limitations on capacity and distance between tables, regulations that make it difficult to earn a living. Outdoor patios have always provided a boost for restaurants, but now they are a lifeline.

As usual in North America, some cities are more aggressive and progressive than others. Kriston Capps writes in CityLab that Al Fresco Dining Is the Restaurant Industrys Best Hope. Some cities are already permitting it, and in others restaurant operators are demanding it.

NYC Restaurants Need Open Streets NOW from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.

Clarence Eckerson's latest epic for Streetsfilms looks at the situation in New York City, with host Henry Rinehart. Some quotes:

"My people and I are hurting. My city is hurting. Our leaders are not creating the safety and certainty that our lives and our jobs require."

"When the weather changes, after 100 days of solitude, we are all going to be desperate to be together, but to be safe. All we know now is that safety requires space. There is available public space in front of every door. Restaurant people are planners and doers. We do not sit alone in silence well. Give restaurants access to open streets and they will bring us all hope and sustenance."

Another city where the Mayor is usually dragged kicking and screaming to do anything progressive is Toronto, where the Mayor actually sounds positive about it on Global News.

I think that it could be a lifeline for some of the restaurants, especially in light of the fact that they will probably be required to have tables further apart inside and outside, said Toronto Mayor John Tory. He said hes asked Transportation Services to find possible locations where expanding patio spaces would be possible and is expecting a report "fairly soon... I think we can sweep away some of the red tape and get this done as a way of making the city friendly for everybody but also our friends in the restaurant business," Tory said.

Alas, the words "fairly soon" have a special meaning in Toronto, and patios are regulated really tightly; they take years to get approved, thanks to NIMBY opposition to people having fun after nine o'clock. Then there are the approvals to serve alcohol which come from another level of government. The patio season is starting now, and "fairly soon" probably means November.

There are other issues of climate besides November chills; there is also July heat. Kriston Capps writes:

Is al-fresco-everything the answer? It has its downsides. Especially in the Southern states that are rushing headlong to reopen, summer brings miserable heat and humidity. Diners who are forced to choose between increased air-conditioned virus exposure indoors or sweating outside may stay home or stick to takeout. Pandemic skeptics dont recognize any such tradeoff, of course. Customers in Georgia who see coronavirus exposure as a matter of personal choice are likely going to go with AC every time.

The fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a culture war is going to be a serious issue in many places.

I suspect another big issue will be washroom access. These are usually at the rear of restaurants, or in older, smaller restaurants, in the basement. Customers should also be washing their hands before they eat. Having them all traipsing through the inside of the restaurant may be problematic.

But ultimately, I suspect that the biggest issue is that we have run out of time. So many rules have to be waived, NIMBYs ignored, decisions made. In one Canadian city, the Mayor said he wouldn't close a lane unless every store owner on the street was consulted. A good parallel to this might be Vision Zero; everybody loves the idea, but implementation is another story.

They are all going to just run out the clock. It's a shame, because it could have been glorious.

Cities around the world are having a look at it, but it will be a challenge.

Read the rest here:
Will expanded patios save the restaurant business? - Treehugger

Yumbii

Nearly a month on from Gov. Brian Kemps announcement that restaurants could begin reopening dining rooms with social distancing measures in places to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a steady stream of eateries continue to announce a resumption of dine-in service.

Heres a list of the recent announcements weve received from local restaurants. Be sure to check the social media or websites of your favorite restaurants to see when they plan to reopen their dining rooms.

Ponce City Market in Old Fourth Ward started reopening its food hall today, May 22, with Brezza Cucina, El Super Pan and W.H. Stiles Fish Camp. Additional food stalls and restaurants will open over the next two weeks.

The patio at Georges Bar & Restaurant in Virginia-Highland is open, as well as limited inside dining.

Yumbii Taco Shop on Peachtree Road has opened its dining room and patio.

Lazy Betty in Candler Park will reopen its dining room and patio beginning June 3.

Jai Hos Dutch Valley location has reopened its patio, and so has Nina & Rafi at StudioPlex Alley.

Homegrown Restaurants Doc Cheys in Grant Park and Morningside, Dragon Bowl at Emory Village and Osteria 832 in Virginia-Highland have all reopened their patios.

Biltong Bar at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta has opened its dining room.

Buckhead eateryMission + Market has reopened their dining room and patio for dine in guests.

Forza Storico on the Westside has reopened the patio to guests for outdoor dining.

Sugar Factory in Midtown has reopened for dine-in, curbside pickup and delivery.

Firepit Pizza Tavern is open regular hours for dine-in service along with curbside, takeout and delivery.

Folk Art in Inman Park is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for dine-in and takeout.

Olive Bistro is Midtown and Vinings has opened its patio and is also offering takeout, delivery, and curbside.

Manuels Tavern in Poncey-Highland has created an outdoor seating area in its back parking lot for those ordering takeout.

Read more:
More Intown restaurants announce reopening of dining rooms and patios - Atlanta Intown

UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced earlier this week of the partial reopening of regions eight and six of Michigan, including the entire Upper Peninsula and the northern region of the Lower Peninsula.

Friday is finally here and people have been enjoying being outside of their homes.

Retail shops, restaurants, and bars are now able to open at half-capacity.

One shop, Local 3 stopped at was Babycakes Muffin Company in Marquette. They have a few seats inside for people to sit at as well as three tables outside for customers to eat their treats.

Babycakes has been open since last Wednesday for take out and contactless pick-up.

Its pretty busy. Today was definitely the busiest day. Its been a little bit slow and we totally understand that but now that people can sit outside and enjoy their coffee, its been really nice in here, said Hanna Johnson, a barista at Babycakes.

Babycakes is encouraging their customers to wear masks, all of their employees are wearing masks and gloves and continually sanitizing their building.

Its not just businesses welcoming guests again.

Some of the most popular places around Marquette County have been closed for weeks. With the warm temperatures and sunshine, people were out and about Friday enjoying the reopening of beaches and parks.

People like Lance Crevier from Peshtigo, WI said he is looking forward to enjoy some time outside.

Im very excited to get out and around and with no restrictions as far as public access goes.

One of the areas most popular city parks, Presque Isle, has been slowly reopening. First to car traffic only, but on Friday bikes, boards, and families were enjoying a place theyve been missing.

Eight-year-old Marquette resident Sophia Hatfield screamed FREEDOM! when her and her family finally got to enjoy some time spent at Blackrocks on Presque Isle.

Weve been stuck in our house and we still are but we get to come down here finally.

More:
Parks to patios: People enjoy partial reopening of U.P. retail businesses, outdoor recreations - WOODTV.com

Its a fraction of the eligible businesses in the city.

Nearly 300 bars, breweries, cafes, distilleries and restaurants in Denver have applied for the city patio expansion program as of Friday after the city started taking applications earlier this week.

A list provided by the citys Joint Information Center shows businesses started applying at noon on Monday after the city announced the program, which is supposed to provide more dine-in service space for restaurants to follow social distancing rules in place due to COVID-19.

Rules are still being developed, but the program would allow businesses to expand into outdoor areas like adjacent parking lots, streets and sidewalks.

The first 10 applicants include:

Excise and Licenses spokesperson Eric Escudero said over email there are 2,794 establishments in the city including bars and restaurants that could be eligible for the patio expansion program.

The city is still waiting on guidance for dine-in restaurant services from the state. The city said no applications have been approved as of Friday, though it expects to approve the first applications soon. Approval will be required from both the city and state. Food or drink establishments arent allowed to have onsite consumption until there are changes to state law, which the city expects will be announced on Monday.

As we expected, the city has received a great deal of interest in this program and its clear this initiative could meet a real need for our local bars and restaurants, city spokesperson Nancy Khun said in an email to Denverite. Although we dont have a reopening date for these businesses yet, if reopening is permitted, were prepared to help Denverites be able to enjoy dining outdoors this summer with social distancing and safety still in mind.

Lisa Sanchez owns Berkeley Inn and Nug Nugs Diner and applied for expansion program for both. The two eateries are about a block away from each other on Tennyson Street. Sanchez received federal money to help stay afloat but said this program could help expand seating for about 40 people between the two eateries and help pay a combined staff of nine people.

As soon as I saw that link come up, I said, OK, here we go, Sanchez said. It could change the game. Im struggling to pay the rent right now. If they allow me to do what they say theyre going to do, I can pay my rent and pay my girls.

Andrs Chaparro owns LaRola Urban Colombian Food at Zeppelin Station and Los Parceros, another Colombian food restaurant on Colfax Avenue near Monaco Parkway. Los Parceros has offered take-out since the pandemic started, though Chaparro said he plans on using the citys patio program to expand his existing outdoor seating space.

Right now, he has space for two tables outside Los Parceros to seat four people each. He wants to expand onto space in front of neighboring businesses and has already reached out about providing more seating. He hasnt applied to the citys program yet.

Anyone who comes here always asks can we sit because they are not yet informed about the process, Chaparro said. He estimated providing outdoor seating could triple his daily revenue.

Other restaurants may take more of a wait-and-see approach. Pizzeria Locale brand manager Chris Donato said the popular pizza restaurant is not interested in applying at the moment and instead will wait on more information about dine-in options. The restaurant has patios at two of their locations and has stayed open while offering take-out services.

Were excited that Denver is headed in this direction, Donato said. We figure there are some restaurants that will truly benefit from this. Were just not sure if were one of those restaurants yet.

Read the rest here:
Nearly 300 restaurants, bars and breweries have applied for Denver's new patio expansion program - Denverite

Introducing the best worst podcast hosts Calvin Mattheis and Ryan Wilusz of The Scruffy Stuff podcast by Knox News. Knoxville News Sentinel

Is it just us, or does a cold beer always seem to taste better outside on a warm day?

Patios and rooftops are just a couple of Calvin Mattheis' favorite things, and Chris Weller of Let Us Drink Knoxville joined the show to share some great news for the podcast co-host: Two patios are gearing up on Gay Street.

Calvin and co-host Ryan Wilusz discussed Weller's collaboration on the patios as part of his work with Foraged Farms.Ryan visits the zoo on reopening day and celebrates Calvin's birthdayat a socially distanced party.

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The duo also discusses the completion of the Magnolia streetscape and a controversy shared on social media involving police and a Knoxville councilwoman.

Plus, a former intern is returning to helpKnox News better connect with our community. Isabel Lohman joins the show to share her plans and explain how you can help.

Stories discussed on the show:

Zoo Knoxville: So far, so good as zoo reopens with 'sparse' guests but more could be allowed

Homeless camp: Councilwoman Amelia Parker's encounter with police at a homeless camp left her 'shaking'

Magnolia Avenue: The 'sidewalks beckon' on Magnolia Avenue; the streetscape project is complete

Hotel Knoxville: Downtown hotel sold at auction after shutting down in March

"The Scruffy Stuff" co-hosts Ryan Wilusz, left, and Calvin Mattheis of Knox News have a grand ol' time at a "Real News" party.(Photo: Submitted NFS)

If you're joining us for the first time, "The Scruffy Stuff" is a podcast about "anything and everything under the Sunsphere."

That means all the news happening in and around downtown Knoxville, including business, music, beer, events and more.

Do you or a loved one suffer from FOMO? Then you may be entitled to "The Scruffy Stuff," hosted by urban life writerRyan Wiluszand visual journalistCalvin Mattheis.

You may have seen us around town Calvin with his runway figure and countless cameras and me, looking like an urban lumberjack with abeer (not on the clock, of course).

Given our positions as highlyesteemed journalists or so we've told ourselveswe are often the first to know what's going on around town. We bring it to you via stories, photos and videos at knoxnews.com.

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"The Scruffy Stuff" is thecherry on top, only better. It's an entire fruit salad of fun, facts and fun facts available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and Google Podcasts.

Just search for "The Scruffy Stuff."

We'll release a new episode every Thursday for you to listen to while youre snacking on the sofa putting on that "Quarantine 15" or icing your carpet burn from all theliving room yoga.

If you have ideas or questions you want us to discuss, slide into our Instagram DMs@knoxscruffand@knoxvillephoto.

Read or Share this story: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/05/21/scruffy-stuff-let-us-drink-knoxville-talks-new-downtown-patios/5233458002/

Link:
The Scruffy Stuff: Let us drink! Plans for two downtown patios are revealed on the podcast - Knoxville News Sentinel