A new tradition unlike any other: Staunton's downtown outdoor dining program returns
STAUNTON — Izzy Hummell remembers working as a hostess at Emilio’s, watching as someone ran down the street after a tow truck moving a car off of Beverley Street. Jade Harris, an assistant manager at The Split Banana, recalls staff at the popular gelato shop gathering up by the window, waiting for the rush of shoppers and diners to realize that they need to move their cars before a tow truck does the moving.
It’s turning into a tradition unlike any other in Staunton, and will likely return next Friday, as City Manager Leslie Beauregard announced that Shop and Dine Out in Downtown returns Friday, April 7.
What this means is that Beverley Street between Lewis and Market streets will close at 4 p.m. on Fridays and re-open 7:30 a.m. on Mondays. It was a program that started during the pandemic to help restaurants and shops encourage social distancing while still serving customers.
“The city was phenomenal,” John Reese said. Reese is a co-owner of CFO Trading Company and Yelping Dog Wine, and is deeply appreciative of the city’s efforts to help businesses during that trying time. He remembers a city employee asking how they could help the business, and Reese said they would like to get more seats outside. According to him, the city didn’t even blink. Now, Reese hopes it’s a permanent fixture on the Staunton calendar during the warmer months.
The program’s return also means that, for the people of Beverley Street, a familiar sight will return: Staunton Police Department officers and public works employees meandering Beverley on Friday afternoons trying to locate car owners who have dispersed amongst the restaurants and shops that define Staunton’s downtown.
“It’s like a sport,” Harris joked. Harris and colleague Caitlyn Allen laughed heartily remembering some of the scenes, like a patron struggling to balance their gelato while fishing keys from their pocket as they sprint down the street to move their car.
However, it’s also difficult for them if cars remain on the street once Beverley Street closes. That afternoon time period is when The Split Banana prepares their outdoor seating for the program, and cars being parked in front of their shop makes it impossible for them to get set up. It’s usually a collaboration between the day and night shifts to get that set-up together, and it’s almost always a rush.
The workers at stores and restaurants do their best to help avoid the issue, as every person The News Leader spoke with mentioned that they will inform patrons of the road closure in the hours leading up to that 4 p.m. closing.
“It’s our responsibility,” Reese said. But sometimes, those warnings aren’t heeded.
Elizabeth Senger, a manager at Made; By the People, for the People, recalls one shopper who was informed by a police officer that they had to move their car around 4:10 p.m. The response?
“Okay, I will, but can I finish here first?”
Reese believes that “99% of the time, it’s tourists who don’t know.” That can lead to some arguments on the street, as some patrons of downtown overlook the signs that are posted on the street.
By and large, no one on Beverley Street remembers a lot of towing since the program started, though they do have some funny memories of patrons chasing after their cars that have been towed.
“I feel like they’re really good at finding people,” Senger said of the officers and public works employees that spend Friday afternoons tracking down errant parkers.
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—Akhil Ganesh is the Government Reporter at The News Leader. You can contact him at aganesh@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @akhildoesthings.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton's outdoor dining and shopping program set to return
