City heeds call to get creative as Rochester restaurants push their patios onto the streets

If you’re trying to get around downtown at some point over the next few weeks, be prepared for things to look a little different on the streets. Rochester’s Public Works department has set up temporary barriers downtown, blocking off parking spaces and lanes of traffic in the name of outdoor dining — giving some restaurant owners a small piece of relief in the midst of Covid-19.

“Governor Walz set forth parameters for restaurants, cafes, and other such establishments to expand their outdoor space in order to maintain a safe environment for customers during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Public Works wrote in a news release. “Closures of some travel lanes, parking lanes, and metered spaces have been granted in the downtown area in order to accommodate these outdoor seating spaces.”

The northbound lanes and parking spaces on the 200 block of First Avenue (between the Second Street and Third Street intersection — the location of Thursdays Downtown through 2019) are closed for outdoor dining. Public Works officials also say alleys next to Bleu Duck Kitchen and the Galleria will be converted into outdoor eating spaces, with future spaces to be set up in other downtown parking and drop-off lanes.

In recent days, concrete barriers have been set up to cordon off parking spaces for outdoor seating directly outside The Half Barrel, The Loop and The Tap House, all on First Avenue or Historic Third Street. Public Works says the barriers were paid for by DMC and sourced by the city.

The idea is closely related to the ‘parklet’ concept prototyped by Grand Rounds (now Nellie’s) last summer, which sparked a back-and-forth between business owners about the practicality of such a space. The current times, though, have brought the street café idea to the top of all restaurant owners’ minds, as city leaders consider whether the temporary measures could inform how streets are used in future post-pandemic summers.

Over two dozen different restaurants have started the permit process in order to use the new spaces or to utilize outdoor space on their own property — so expect to see more examples of temporary patios popping up around town in the coming days.

Additionally, beginning Wednesday, many restaurants will begin welcoming back patrons indoors for the first time in three months as the state enters phase three of the state’e reopening strategy. Restaurants will be required to keep indoor seating to 50 percent capacity.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.