Route 1 restaurants embrace patio life: How WHYM and others are banking on outdoor dining

HAMPTON — Route 1 restaurants keep upping their outdoor dining game – a trend of the coronavirus pandemic that has continued as restaurant-goers seek patio seating.

Alex Aviles, Matt Barrett and Bob Levine have always planned on adding a patio to WHYM Craft Pub and Brewery since they moved from Portsmouth to 853 Lafayette Road in Hampton. The coronavirus pandemic pushed them to serve guests in their front parking lot in 2020, and now they have built a new eco-friendly brick patio that better fits their vision.

The 2,000-square-foot patio was laid in front of the brewery in the past several weeks, as well as 1,500 square feet of new grass. The patio’s north side is for games like cornhole, and Aviles said a putting green will soon be incorporated for “pints and putts.”

“People enjoy being outside, and we enjoy it, too,” Aviles said.

WHYM is the latest restaurant to improve its outdoor dining, a trend that has included the Galley Hatch, the Old Salt, the Community Oven, Shane’s Texas Pit and Wing-Itz. Los Cantaros, which opened on Route 1 in North Hampton in 2021, has also enjoyed outdoor seating that has become a draw for locals.

The demand for outdoor dining is greater than ever, say restaurant owners. Some say that adds to the competition.“So many people call up. ‘Do you have outdoor dining?’” said Shane Pine, who owns the Community Oven and Shane’s. “That’s a new question every restaurant owner, I think, feels every day.”

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WHYM makes outdoor seating permanent

When WHYM moved to Hampton in 2019, they had already spent several years at their original Portsmouth location, offering a comfortable outdoor patio area. It included a covered dining area, picnic tables and an area for games like cornhole and darts.

Aviles said the new patio installed this summer calls back to those Portsmouth days and the original vision for WHYM.

“This is definitely going to bring some of that comfort back,” Aviles said.

The new patio will take in less heat than the pavement before it, according to Aviles, meaning guests are less likely to bake outside while enjoying the sun. It's also an eco-paver patio, he said, and its impervious nature makes it a completely green renovation.

“Being environmentally sustainable should be something that all businesses are thinking about,” Aviles said.

He said it is also more comfortable for dogs and offers locals a place to enjoy community events on Route 1, like the Hampton Christmas Parade.

WHYM had some outdoor seating when they first took over the space of a small patio area under an overhang on the front side of the building. The parking lot became an extension of that small outdoor seating area during the early pandemic days with picnic tables and a tent covering.

Last year, WHYM added large sliding doors to the north-facing side to open the section previously only window and wall. That work was a precursor to the patio this year, Aviles said.

“We wanted to be able to open the space up and have it kind of flow right into the patio,” Aviles said.

The work is only one phase in a bigger plan to make the WHYM patio an oasis for guests. Aviles said they plan to add permanent shading and more lawn games for kids next year.

“Some cool, fun things that the town never expected to be on Route 1,” Aviles said.

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Patio games along Route 1 with growing outdoor dining culture

Restaurant owners said the outdoor dining trend has grown since the pandemic as customers are not trying to stay inside when the sun is out.

Pine turned the backyard of Shane’s into an outdoor lounge originally called Instabar in 2020, since renamed the Backyard Bar. Painted panels are rotated frequently along the wall to give an atmosphere similar to what you would find in Austin, Texas.

Pine only recently acquired permanent permitting for his outdoor space. Previously, he was operating with a temporary permit. He said the trend of outdoor dining makes permanent outdoor seating a necessity.

“Now we’re at least competitive,” Pine said of securing permanent approval. He also has outdoor seating at the Community Oven with a small stage area for outdoor music he built earlier in the pandemic.

Without ocean or harborside views like patios at Hampton Beach and Portsmouth, Route 1 owners say they do what they can to make their outdoor space homier. At Los Cantaros, which overlooks Route 1 at the Marshall’s plaza, owner Jorge Gonzalez said they keep up the landscaping to give guests a comfortable surrounding.

Wing-Itz owner Derek Fisher said he built his patio to be elevated so guests could enjoy a little distance from the Route 1 traffic. Still, he said just having the space at all gives people another option to sit outside that feels easier than a trip to busy Ocean Boulevard at Hampton Beach. He built his patio last year to include a secondary bar, heat, televisions, surround sound and live music.

“The locals, they don’t want to go down all the way to the beach to get some sort of setup like this,” Fisher said. “It just gives another option to hanging out without going down to the beach and fighting the crowds.”

WHYM’s owners say they are not driven by pressure from any patio war.

“We’re not competing, in that respect,” Levine said. “We just want to have a nice space for our customers.”

Levine said New Hampshire’s growth in outdoor dining demonstrates its value and that more people are recognizing it. He compared the United States to Europe where he has visited and seen outdoor establishments thrive, even in colder months where blankets are used.

“It’s really what people want and that’s what we’re doing,” Levine said. “And the other places recognize that, too.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Route 1 restaurants embrace patio life: WHYM latest to add outdoor dining