More Arlington Hts. restaurants can offer outdoor eating
Five downtown restaurants that were allowed to put tables on public sidewalks last summer will do so again this summer, and they will be joined by one of downtown's newest restaurants.
The village board on Monday approved an outdoor dining license agreement with Cortland's Garage Tavern & Grill, 1 N Vail Ave., which opened in September 2015.
Charles Witherington-Perkins, the village's director of planning and community development, said after the meeting that the other restaurants that are allowed to offer outdoor eating areas on the public rights of way are Carlos and Carlos Ristorante, 17 W. Campbell St.; Javier's Sabor Mexicano Restaurant, 8 W. Miner St.; Peggy Kinnane's Restaurant, 8 N. Vail Ave.; Salsa 17, 17 W. Campbell St.; and La Tasca Tapas Restaurant, 25 W. Davis St.
Village Manager Randall Recklaus said the village's outdoor dining policy has received nothing but positive feedback from the restaurant community.
Recklaus said the village is looking at sales tax receipts to determine how much extra revenue has been generated by the policy. The village board approved more relaxed requirements for outdoor dining in May 2014.
“So far, so good,” Recklaus said. “We continue to monitor the success of the program.”
According to village documents, Cortland's will put out five square tables on the West Campbell Street sidewalk. Each table will seat four customers.
The village's agreements with La Tasca Tapas and Javier's Sabor Mexicano restaurants were also approved Monday. The agreements with Carlos and Carlos, Salsa 17 and Peggy Kinnane's were approved at earlier meetings.
Recklaus said other restaurants may also apply for permission to serve customers on the public right of way.
The outdoor dining areas will be allowed through Oct. 31, according to the agreements. The restaurants use planters or fencing to delineate between the shared walkway for pedestrians and the area for patrons and restaurant servers.
The restaurants also will be allowed to serve alcohol on the public sidewalk, under the agreements.