PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The future of outdoor dining could be determined this week. New regulations regarding "streeteries" are expected to be issued likely as early as Monday.
After extensive input from restaurant owners, Councilman Allan Domb said the City of Philadelphia is expected to revise their outdoor dining guidelines.
"We don't know for sure, but we're waiting for the administration to issue the final regulations," he said, "and I'm sure this will be evolving."
Domb said some of the objections restaurant owners had with the initial rules included requiring a $60,000 security bond, a hefty annual license fee, and certain regulations regarding heating, lighting and on-site storage.
Related Jawncast: Some changes to regulations for “streeteries” that could be coming soon.
"The administration is also working towards the streamlined list of options for layouts for outdoor dining," he explained, "and it's anticipated that these will include crashworthy barriers or might include platforms that look more similar to the parklet program."
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According to Ben Fileccia, with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association explains, once the regulations are posted, there are 10 days until they're signed into law.
"However, we really hope there's a grace period to get up to regulations," he said. "My hope is that no action is taken until after the summer months."
In the meantime, Domb said business owners are counting on the spring and summer season to recoup some of their COVID-19 losses.
"These small restaurants got crushed in the pandemic, crushed. It will take them years to recover," he said.
As for what it means for diners, Domb told KYW Newsradio about 835 permits were issued by the city during the pandemic for streeteries in various locations. Those in traffic lanes, which he said are likely half of them, are a safety issue.
"So right off the top, we will lose half," he said. "There are some restaurants that don't feel they need outdoor dining anymore. I think if I was making an educated guess, we'll wind up with somewhere between 200 and 300 outdoor facilities."
Philly's indoor masking rules changed pretty fast. The Jawncast breaks it all down.