On a clear evening, you can spot the moon hovering above the Newton Highlands Congregational Church if you happen to be eating across the street at Buttonwood restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
Enjoying that view is one of the many positives stemming from the City’s decision to fast track dining al fresco during the Covid pandemic. Newton recently took another step to assist in the financial success of neighborhood eateries by making on-street dining permanent, although tables cannot be put out all 12 months of the year.
“What started off as something that was born out of necessity [during the pandemic], is a revelation about how much both the restaurants and the residents of the city are benefitting from outdoor dining,” said John Driscoll, owner of Buttonwood, during a recent phone interview.
“Outdoor dining (on the public streets) began as a survival mechanism for restaurants during the pandemic,” said City Council Chairwoman Susan Albright, who voted to make the measure permanent. “Now everyone sees it as a wonderful amenity – and I agree.”
Eating outdoors has been “the only good thing that came out of the pandemic,” said Arpit Patel, owner-operator of Newton Centre’s Baramor.
In fact, for many restaurateurs, it was the difference between their business surviving or closing three years ago, after then-Gov. Charlie Baker extended outdoor dining.
Chef/owners Kate and Trevor Smith welcomed customers into Newton Centre’s Thistle & Leek in September 2020, in the middle of the crisis. Al fresco dining, “very literally allowed us to stay open” at that time, they said.
“At first, outdoor dining was crucial,” recalled Artur Andronic, general manager of Nonantum’s Moldova Restaurant. “While takeout took over the majority of our sales, the patio allowed both our staff and our customers to engage with each other again. It gave a sense of hope.”
Why the appeal
During last year’s outdoor dining season, Buttonwood customers always snapped up outdoor tables first when making reservations, said Driscoll.
“The older population has been more cautious” about eating indoors and has embraced taking their meals outside, he said.
“It’s very European, it’s very casual, and if the restaurant has the space, it simply makes sense,” said Andronic. “We’ve noticed that guests prefer outdoors whenever the weather permits. There’s a unique charm to it.”
There’s also a feeling of safety for some diners who might not feel comfortable having a meal inside.
“The majority of our guests prefer outdoors if the conditions are optimal but there is absolutely a subset of guests who gravitate indoors knowing that most people will be outside,” said the Smiths.
Improvements on the way?
Now that officials have made outdoor dining permanent, some restaurant owners said they feel more secure about spending their hard-earned dollars on aesthetic and practical improvements.
“Making outdoor dining permanent gives restaurants the confidence to invest in outdoor furniture, lighting, platforms and other fixtures because they know they can use them over many seasons and it helps in terms of planning menus and hiring,” said Greg Reibman, president of the Charles River Regional Chamber, when asked what the vote means for the city.
“The most common complaint is the outdoor dining doesn’t look nice enough,” said Councilor-at-large Alicia Bowman, a proponent of the measure. “But by creating permanent, seasonal outdoor dining, restaurants will have the incentive to invest in these outdoor seatings in a way that enhances their restaurant front.”
When asked whether outdoor dining should be year-round, the reactions were mixed.
“I have no objections to outdoor dining all year long,” said Albright. However, she said that the “DPW [Department of Public Works] has concerns about on-street parking for dining – they worry that it will interfere with their ability to plow the streets.”
“Our weather in New England is rapidly changing. We had multiple 60-degree days in January and February this year,” said Reibman. “It certainly makes sense from the point of view of both restaurants and customers to allow outdoor dining year round.”
Patel wants Newton diners to be able to eat al fresco during the sunny days of summer as well as the crisp days of winter.
“We would push for yearlong,” he said, adding that guests enjoying food outside help make city centers look more vibrant.
“The logistics of every restaurant and every street they reside on are obviously not the same, but for those who can make it work there should be a path to making that happen,” said the Smiths.
Some restaurateurs were not as concerned, saying they would not open outside during the winter anyway, and others said they respected that the city might need more access during the snowy months.
Neither the Mayor’s office nor the City’s economic development division could be reached for comment..
Even playing field?
While the vote to make outdoor dining permanent has been positive for many, it impacts only restaurants that offer sidewalk seating. Establishments that offer tables outside on their own property have to jump through additional hoops in order to be on the same playing field.
Seana Gaherin, owner of Dunn Gaherin’s in Upper Falls, reinvented her business during Covid, converting her private parking lot into an outdoor oasis.
“Our sales are perishable,” she said. Having the ability to serve customers outside “was the saving grace.”
Dunn Gaherin’s could not offer seating on the narrow sidewalks and “[Elliot] street is too dangerous … I wish it was an option,” she said.
Instead, she is applying for a special permit to be allowed to keep her popular outdoor dining up and running in her own parking lot.
“I want to be able to open and compete with other restaurants with outdoor space,” said Gaherin.
Although she said city officials have been supportive, she must still wade through the special permitting red tape.
It’s “one of the antiquated processes that we have in Newton,” she said.
Despite the added costs of hiring a lawyer and architect and racing against the clock to capture sales during the limited season, she said she will fight to keep her outside tables open.
Why is it so important?
“I think outdoor dining … is here to stay,” said Gaherin. “Having that option is really important. We’ll do anything to make our businesses thrive and succeed.”
