While Bernard Avenue restaurants will be able to expand their patios onto the street soon enough, other Kelowna eateries don’t all have the same opportunity.
But this doesn’t mean that those businesses will miss out on the outdoor dining fun.
The City of Kelowna’s property management manager JoAnne Adamson said there are two programs that are designed to help restaurant owners across the city increase their patio size: a temporary parking lot dining program and the sidewalk seating program.
The first is designed for restaurants that have extra private land such as a parking lot or a side yard, where they can apply for a permit to set up temporary dining spaces outdoors.
The second is designed for eateries don’t have available extra space, allowing them to put seating on public land. For that program, the city has slashed the application fee to $100 from $300 and the additional fees assessed based on size have been halved.
She said each restaurant is assessed on a case by case basis but each program’s application process has been streamlined and fees have been reduced to make it easier for businesses to apply to have extra outdoor seating.
Adamson added that the goal is to help each business as best they can during these times.
For more information on outdoor seating applications, you can visit the city’s website.
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@twilamam twila.amato@blackpress.ca
