Editorial: Outdoor restaurant seating is what Palm Beach diners want
Give the people what they want. And what the people want is outdoor dining.
Earlier this month, Café L’Europe and Club Colette became the first two Palm Beach restaurants approved for permanent outdoor seating under a new Town Hall initiative. The Outdoor Café Program replaces a temporary one that was quickly implemented in 2020 to help restaurants weather the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But while the provisional plan expires on Labor Day, the demand for outdoor seating has only grown stronger as COVID strains linger and younger families who want to be outdoors move into town.
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That has forced restaurants to change the way they do business and for the town to evolve with it.
Other restaurants also have applied for permanent alfresco seating, so the number of places with it will only continue to grow.
Each application to the Outdoor Café Program will need to be considered on an individual basis to make sure that each of the alfresco table plans do not interfere with public access. Officials also should keep a watchful eye on the program to ensure that no unanticipated problems arise from it.
For example, Cafe L'Europe changed its plan after a Brazilian Avenue residential neighbor objected to seats on his street. Now, the restaurant's 34 permanent outdoor chairs, drawn from its 175 total capacity, will only be placed out front of its main entrance. Club Colette was granted 40 such seats.
“Dining outside on a beautiful Palm Beach night, there’s nothing like it. Outdoor dining has been important during the pandemic, but it’s also proven to be an asset for the town," said Mark Marcello, Café L’Europe’s president.
Indeed, there is nothing like it. With the permanent plan, restaurants and the town can now give the people what they want.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Outdoor restaurant seating is what Palm Beach diners want | Editorial
