5 Reasons Outdoor Dining Should Stick Around Permanently in the Neighborhood

Say it ain’t so!

On June 15, the formal state of emergency (thanks to COVID-19) that was put in place back in March of 2020 will officially end – which is a good thing – but it could also mean the end of outdoor dining! WHAAAT? Outdoor dining is one of our favorite things to come out of the pandemic!

Technically, outdoor street dining in the City of Boston is only a pilot program but we think it should become a permanent thing! What do you think? Take our survey! 

Here are 5 Reasons Outdoor Dining Should Stick Around Permanently in the Neighborhood

New energy to the neighborhood

The new street patios have added a fun and festive vibe to the neighborhood.  Pretty flora and fauna, twinkling outdoor lighting, artwork, and creative seating, combine together and  uniquely capture the spirit of each restaurant!

Makes our neighborhood more walkable

Having these outdoor patios helps connect East and West Broadway hence making the neighborhood more walkable!  Fresh air, sunshine, less cars, people out and about walking in the neighborhoods stopping in other small businesses along the way!

Being outdoors is good for the soul

Vitamin D and fresh air are two elements necessary for a happy and healthy life!  Benefits include lifting your mood plus supporting immune, brain, and nervous system health! Walking in the fresh air releases feel good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine are produced in the brain!  Bottom line – being outdoors is good for you!

More seats available to diners

After coming out of a crippling year and half, restaurants need to put more asses in the seats! The addition of outdoor dining means more seats.  More seats mean more customers. More customers mean more money to help restaurants recover! If restaurants thrive so does our community!

Supporting small business + restaurants is good for the neighborhood

If we haven’t convinced you yet, maybe this fact will. For every dollar spent at a local business, 67 cents stays in the community. Of that 67 cents, 44 cents go to the owner and employees in the form of wages and benefits, while 23 cents are reinvested in other local businesses.  Small businesses also help communities to stay more resilient! Having a healthy and strong local business community helps establish stability for neighborhoods. Every resident is more likely to flourish when small businesses are doing well! Having permanent outdoor dining will only amplify this equation!

Recently, State Senator Nick Collins offered an amendment to the State’s annual budget that would keep in place critical economic development tools for restaurants across the city and state. Under his proposal, municipalities would be empowered to continue expanded outdoor-dining authorizations for restaurants for a full year after the state of emergency is lifted. This is a step in the right direction! Let’s keep moving forward and keep our neighborhood street patios open permanently!

Take our survey and let us know what you think!