GRANTS PASS, Ore. — With restrictions on indoor dining, Grants Pass restaurants are taking advantage of a new option the city is offering to get customers in the door, while still obeying public health guidelines. And local businesses say it’s working.
Several restaurants downtown are expanding outdoor seating into street parking. An option the city calls ‘parklets.’
“They set up the concrete barriers here and then I bought all the patio furniture and umbrellas and decorated it,” Sean Vice, Vice Brewing Company owner, said.
According to Vice, it’s made a huge difference in the past couple weeks.
“It’s definitely helped out business cause we have lost a lot of seating inside,” Vice said.
After spacing out tables inside, Vice Brewing Company was left with just 28 seats for customers. The parklet adds another 20 outside. Vice says that means they’re just as busy now as they were before the pandemic.
“Definitely helps bring the small businesses back,” Vice said.
The city of Grants Pass says the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive with about 85% of comments in support of the parklets. The city says it’s temporary, but some business owners hope the city considers keeping them a bit longer.
“I hope it’s something the city just implements for the future, at least for the summer,” Vice said.
Grants Pass isn’t alone. Medford and Ashland have also discussed this option with their businesses.
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