Several Vancouver restaurants taking part in Patio Day
Posted August 3, 2015 10:13 am.
Last Updated August 3, 2015 10:58 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Today isn’t just BC Day, it’s also the first-ever Patio Day in Vancouver.
Nineteen restaurants are taking part.
Scott Edwards with the City of Vancouver says businesses without formal outdoor spaces are turning spaces outside their restaurants into patios.
“We realize that this was short notice. It was really exciting. We wanted to move it forward for this year,” he explains. “We want to hear back from those businesses that participated and hear back from them as to what they’re hoping for. I think there’s a great opportunity for us to see something in the coming years.”
Some of the patios are creative; restaurants can use any kind of outside space, including their own parking spaces, to serve their customers.
There are some rules in place to ensure the patios don’t interfere with people using sidewalks and parking lots.
Edwards adds there are a lot of social benefits to Patio Day and it helps to create a more connected, safe city. “One of the things we want to encourage is people to experience some of the vibrant commercial areas that we’ve got and to enjoy the great outdoors.”
Earlier this year, Vancouver decided to allow dozens of restaurants to keep their patios open until 1 a.m., as part of the city’s extended patio pilot project.
