Outdoor dining options in Los Angeles County may become a permanent fixture

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Outdoor dining options in Los Angeles County may become a permanent fixture.

Since launching as a temporary measure in the midst of the pandemic, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says people have really embraced the idea of al fresco dining in spaces that include private parking lots and parklets.

"It has ended up being a windfall for some restaurants, who didn't have a capacity indoors when they were allowed to increase indoor dining, so the outdoor was really their lifeline," she says.

A motion she co-authored would direct the County CEO and other county departments to to establish permanent Countywide guidelines for expanded options for outdoor dining spaces

"We want the county to help those who signed up, under the temporary program, to make their outdoor dining set-ups permanent," she says.

She says they would also continue to help new businesses establish their own set up.

Featured Image Photo Credit: A tented area for outdoor restaurant dining stands empty on the first day of new stay-at-home orders on December 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Under state order, 33 million residents of California have entered into regional shutdowns in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus as ICU capacity has dipped below 15 percent in most regions of the state. Barbershops, hair and nail salons, museums, zoos, movies theaters are closed while restaurants are open for takeout or delivery only. In Los Angeles, outdoor dining was shuttered nearly two weeks ago amid a surge of coronavirus cases there. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)