Schaumburg considering looser outdoor dining rules post-pandemic
Schaumburg is considering a new permanent outdoor dining policy that would be more liberal than rules that existed before the pandemic but not quite up to allowing the 2,700-square-foot tent that one restaurant is using.
Michael Garcia, assistant general manager of Fat Rosie's Taco & Tequila Bar at 870 N. Meacham Road, said he understands the village has done as much as it could for him and that the absence of mandates makes it difficult for it to justify the "circus tent" set up next to the building.
"They're the only reason that we're still open," said Garcia, whose restaurant is the only one in Schaumburg to have taken advantage of relaxed outdoor dining regulations for a second winter.
While Fat Rosie's will be swapping out its tent that can accommodate 120 customers with one about half its size before the April 1 deadline, Garcia said the restaurant is considering some of the permanent changes that a proposed update of village regulations might enable.
Based on this year's customer support and the financial ability to do so, Fat Rosie's would like to start construction of a larger outdoor patio after the summer for use in 2023 and beyond, Garcia said.
Code-change recommendations from Schaumburg's planning staff include allowing as many seats as can safely be placed on a sidewalk in front of a restaurant, allowing outdoor dining in parking lots, and permitting seasonal tents from May 1 to Nov. 1.
Schaumburg Trustee George Dunham recently concurred with his colleagues on the planning, building and development committee in endorsing the staff recommendations. He said the village wants its restaurants to succeed, and he fully supports any measure within reason to help them do so.
Schaumburg issued 55 temporary outdoor dining permits for 2020 and 16 for 2021. But Fat Rosie's was the only restaurant to take advantage of an allowed extension of the 2021 permit through April 1.
Garcia believes that's because many of Schaumburg's restaurants are corporately owned and governed by decisions affecting their whole chain. While some of those shut down temporarily to account for differing protocols across the nation, Fat Rosie's had greater maneuverability from being locally run, he added.
Though the restaurant is considering adding a patio based on its experience during the pandemic, Garcia said it's never had the chance to complete its original design plans from when it opened in December 2019.