Sumner’s Takeout Alley is another kind of public park

The narrow space between 905 Main St. in downtown Sumner and its neighboring building seemed unusable.

What do you do with a 10-foot wide, 40-foot long space surrounded by brick walls?

“It was empty, and it always kind of gnawed at us a little bit,” said Joleen Peterson-Jones, who with her husband Justin Jones, owns JMJ Team, a civil engineering and land-use planning firm.

Since spring 2019, they have worked out of the brand-new 905 Main St., renting the ground-floor commercial unit to Electric Coffee. During construction, passersby would comment on the awkward empty space and say things like, “Oh, too bad you’re not gonna be able to do anything with it,” Peterson-Jones recalled in a phone call this week.

“When restaurants were hit with the indoor dining regulation — the ban — we just wanted to do something to help,” she said.

Inspired by a parklet across the street at Hometown Charm Cafe, the couple found just the right sized covers online. They outfitted the narrow space with a few picnic tables and bistro lights. They plopped a sandwich board outside and gave it a name: Takeout Alley.

“Open to all,” the sign reads, Takeout Alley lends a public park sentiment to outdoor dining. Peterson-Jones hopes it encourages people to order food from Sumner’s many restaurants and to enjoy their meal without leaving downtown.

“People still want to get out of the house,” she said, “and takeout is wonderful — and we should all be doing it. Sometimes you don’t want to take it home. You want to stay and still experience the downtown.”

She or her husband locks up the entrance to the alley every night and reopens it each morning, emptying the trash, too. For the most part, said Peterson-Jones, guests have been respectful.

“I liken it to a city park bench,” she said. “It’s not serviced by a restaurant, so you’ve gotta pack it in and pack it out, and keep it clean.”

PUYALLUP PARKLETS

Next door, Puyallup has been busy this summer and fall bolstering restaurants and downtown businesses with similar rethinking of public spaces.

In June, the city introduced an outdoor dining pilot program, using a portion of its CARES Act allotment to build parklets: temporary patios that take the place of a parking spot. The application fee was $10, and the city handled all construction and setup.

Wicked Pie Pizza, Caskcades and The Rose Puyallup have welcomed guests onto their 16-foot by 7-foot parklets for a few months now.

Now that restaurants can only offer outdoor dining, Puyallup’s initiative — originally set to end Oct. 31 but recently extended through October 2021 — seems prescient.

“It actually makes me feel super proud to be part of the Puyallup community,” said Mary Anderson, who owns Wicked Pie with her husband Randy. “Some cities are different to work with, and right now, during these difficult times, it’s really important when you’ve got your city backing you.”

That she was able to snag one of the city’s four initial parklets was the first blessing, she told The News Tribune this week. At peak times, guests sometimes wait 45 minutes for one of those outdoor tables — “and they wait,” she said.

“My customers are diehards. We do have heaters, but still, you know, it’s not like sitting indoors,” she laughed.

With indoor dining curtailed again, she called the city to ask for a second parklet, one that Charlie’s Restaurant had returned after using it this fall. In total, the pizzeria’s sidewalk cafe and parklet now seats 26 people — about half of their standard indoor capacity.

“That’s huge for us,” said Anderson.

WINTER-READY GRANTS

According to city economic development manager Meredith Neal, in this “final rush” of CARES funding, which must be distributed by Dec. 31, 18 restaurants and eight retail stores will receive another financial boost in the form of $5,000 “winter-ready” grants. In total, the program was allocated $150,000.

Neal realized the dire need for cash in hand after learning that Bourbon Street Creole Kitchen could not use the heaters the restaurant had purchased for its new tented patio due to a potential fire hazard.

“If we want them to invest in these other options to keep our community supporting our local restaurants,” she said, “let’s see what we can do to help them out in that way.”

Though initially focused on helping businesses “winterize” their outdoor areas, the grant’s parameters were purposely left “pretty open-ended because everybody needs something different,” explained Neal.

Bumpy’s, which only recently reopened, used the money to build a 60-foot by 15-foot semi-permanent metal structure in the adjacent parking lot.

The Savory and Sweet Cafe, on the other hand, did not need to expand its patio, but owner Karen Fisher said she could use the funds to add online ordering and a digital waiting list.

Businesses also have worked in tandem with one another, according to Neal. The Forum, she said, asked neighbor Ashley’s Room if the bar could use their parking spot for a parklet. The consignment store said yes.

“I think there’s a recognition that, if we can get diners back in the downtown core, that it raises the level of the water for all boats,” said Neal.

The Forum, Fiesta Taqueria and Anthem Coffee have also received “winter-ready” grants.

As winter unfolds and the prospect of indoor dining soon returning dims as the virus rages, Puyallup is going all-in on the outdoors. Come spring, the city will open applications for seven parklets.

SUMNER TAKEOUT ALLEY

▪ 905 Main St., Sumner

▪ Generally open 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., but closing time is flexible depending on use

PUYALLUP PARKLETS & OUTDOOR DINING

▪ Various locations: reference TNT Diner’s outdoor dining guide for ideas

This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.