Demand for patios in downtown Winnipeg warms up

More downtown Winnipeg restaurateurs want to open outdoor patios this summer, according to a business organization that can help those restaurants cut through the red tape.

The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ says it usually gets just a few applications every year for its program to help restaurants build outdoor dining spaces.

"But for whatever reason, this year we have eight requests in," Stefano Grande, the organization's executive director, told CBC News.

"It's really nice to see our restaurant owners make a decision to move in that direction."

Grande said the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ accepts three applications every year. This year's recipients are:

The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ has the expertise to guide restaurants through the process of getting city licences for their proposed patios.

"We know the bylaws inside out, so we know what will or won't work even before we go to the city," he said.

"We'll work with that business owner; pretty much anything that we bring forward we know is going to be accepted."

Grande estimates that there are more than 30 patios in all of downtown Winnipeg.

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Demand for patios in downtown Winnipeg warms up