After nearly 2 years of expanded outdoor patios, Fort Collins mulls making them permanent

Late in the spring of 2020, roughly a dozen bistro tables and matching chairs popped up in front of Old Town's Armstrong Hotel. Soon they were cordoned off by black roping, sleek iron stanchions and a handful of planters bursting with colorful annuals.

With that, the historic hotel's first patio, Ace Cafe, was born. And if plans at the city come to fruition this fall, it — and other expanded outdoor patios across Fort Collins — may be here to stay.

Like dozens of other patios that popped up across Fort Collins at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado, Ace Cafe's existence has hinged on the city's temporary expanded outdoor patio program, which launched in late spring 2020 as a lifeline to restaurants and bars trying to stay afloat during the pandemic's early days.

Over a year and a half later, COVID-19 still remains in Fort Collins and so do upwards of 25 expanded sidewalk and parking lot patios, according to an estimate from the city.

Despite Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ending the COVID-19 health emergency order Fort Collins' expanded patio program had been originally tied to last July, the city has since allowed restaurants to keep their approved patios on a temporary basis.

Now, given the uncertainty of the pandemic — amid the highly-transmissible omicron variant — the city of Fort Collins is looking at establishing an ongoing, nonemergency-related extended outdoor dining program that may launch this fall, according to SeonAh Kendall, the recovery manager for Fort Collins' Economic Health Office.

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News of this potentially ongoing program comes after the city conducted an outdoor dining survey last year. The survey's results, which were released in September, showed 64% of its 37 responding businesses supported sidewalk patios being made permanent and 42% supported patios in parking areas being made permanent.

Kat Reeves, who owns Oak Street's tiny Bistro Nautile with her husband, Mike, said the restaurant's expanded outdoor patio has served them well. The proof is in its plywood platform, which is rotting and ready to be rebuilt after more than a year and a half in use.

Its pop-up tent, which is put up on less windy days, has seen its fair share of action as well, with melted scars from the restaurant's outdoor heaters serving as reminders of the frigid nights it saw the restaurant through.

"It was like eating in Armageddon. It was so cold, but people came anyway and they had a great time," Reeves said, largely referring to the end of 2020, when Larimer County restaurants were once again closed for indoor dining.

"I believe that when we first opened in (June 2020), it really made the difference between sinking or swimming," Reeves said of the patio, which was built in the three parking spaces directly in front of Bistro Nautile.

From the restaurant's opening in June 2020 through the end of last year, Reeves said Bistro Nautile's outdoor patio accounted for 20% of its revenue. For the tiny restaurant, which typically has a capacity of 49 people, it also added 22 seats it desperately needed.

Reeves said the restaurant is hoping to build on the patio's success by using a $6,800 grant it was just awarded by Larimer County to rebuild and redesign it — getting rid of its rotting plywood and revamping its overall look.

Commending the city for providing such an option and balancing the needs of Fort Collins' restaurants, Reeves said she supports the city's expanded outdoor patio program becoming permanent.

"It was really meaningful to us as we struggled through the pandemic, and it's still a really nice option to have," she said.

Of the roughly 130 responses the city received from the larger public on its outdoor patio survey, a majority were in favor of a permanent change, with 55% of individuals supporting permanent parking lot patios and 61% supporting permanent sidewalk patios.

Retail business owners who responded to the survey were more opposed to parking lot patios, compared with restaurant and bar owners who took part in the survey, according to the city. Eateries and bars along College Avenue were especially in favor of a more permanent program than businesses in other locations, the survey also showed.

After getting a good reception to its sidewalk patio along College Avenue, Armstrong Hotel Manager George Prine said the hotel decided to keep Ace Cafe even as Larimer County's capacity restrictions on restaurants loosened in 2020 and expired entirely last April.

"We wanted to enhance a sense of arrival to our property, and there's nothing greater than having 10 to 12 tables out there in a French-style cafe," Prine said. "Especially during COVID, we wanted to bring energy back into Fort Collins. It really said not only is the Armstrong Hotel open, but Fort Collins is open."

The hotel launched its Ace Cafe menu, which offered weekend brunch, lighter fare and a new daytime option at the Armstrong Hotel. The addition allowed the hotel to bring some of its part-time employees on full-time and has brought in an additional 30% to 35% of revenue, Prine said.

"It’s such a welcoming feeling when (our guests) see the vitality of people walking outside through Old Town and see all these restaurants," Prine added. "It sends such a great message. Hopefully (the patio program) keeps growing."

Across town at Maya Cove, Fort Collins' lone Alabama bar that dishes up smoked barbecue and full-strength margaritas, owner Steve Fowler said while he's no longer able to have an expanded patio at his West Drake Road shopping center location, he would support the city's program becoming permanent.

Fowler set up a temporary expanded patio in Maya Cove's parking lot around early June 2020, roughly a week after getting approval the new patio program, he said.

"It just made sense," Fowler said. "(The county) had set rules that you couldn't have more than 50% (capacity) inside, but by making those rules, they also gave you an alternative (with the expanded patios). I thought it was very fair."

"It didn't offset the (capacity) limits inside, but it made it a lot easier," he added. "It basically allowed me to move my dining room into the parking lot."

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After restaurants returned to 100% capacity last April, Fowler said his property's owner asked him to take down the temporary patio, which he did. But even with the patio now gone, Fowler said it may have been one of the reasons Maya Cove was able to weather the pandemic's early days.

"When people drove by, they could see we were still open. It was almost like, 'Hey, Maya Cove is trying to do what they can during this. Let's support them,' " Fowler said. "It was very instrumental in us getting through this."

Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins outdoor sidewalk patios could become permanent