RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The dining scene in Richmond — and across the country — transformed as the COVID-19 pandemic mandated new social distancing rules and guidelines.
John Giavos, owner of Stella’s Restaurant, said patio dining became paramount.
“Without outdoor dining, most of my businesses probably wouldn’t have made it through COVID,” Giavos said.
The formally declared health crisis came to a close this week. As pandemic-era restrictions and protocols shut down, some local business owners opened their inboxes to an alarming email from the City of Richmond. It informed them that the special outdoor seating permits issued during the height of the pandemic were now expired.
“It just kind of made us a little hysterical, a rollercoaster ride,” Giavos said. “[Restaurant owners were] running around trying to pull their patios apart or knowing if they’re going to go to jail if the ABC board shows up saying, you’ve got diners outside on illegal patio.”
However, on May 12, those local restaurant owners received a new email from the City of Richmond.
“Great email today,” Giavos reflected. “The city figured out there’s an application process to go through to see if you can keep your temporary patio.”
Businesses need to submit a new application and show they comply with sidewalk and logistical requirements. Owners told 8News that they’re eager for the chance to keep those coveted outdoor tables, but they wished there had been better communication.
“They should have gone to the public and said, ‘Hey guys, the temporary dining is ending because COVID is over with, we’re going to allow you to submit an application and make it easy for everybody,’ so everybody knew exactly what’s going on,” Giavos said.
A representative from the City of Richmond told 8News that there isn’t currently a strict deadline for when restaurants need to have those permit applications submitted by. Businesses can continue to serve customers outdoors during the transition process.
