Puyallup looks to bolster business downtown with farmers market, outdoor restaurant seating
The city of Puyallup is shaking things up downtown, with outdoor seating for restaurants and a relocated Farmers Market.
The city said both decisions are in hopes of enticing more businesses downtown.
City Manager Steve Kirkelie said supporting downtown business growth is a part of the city’s mission.
Kirkelie said he feels bringing the farmers market back to the core of Puyallup and adding more potential customers for restaurants will help locals return to downtown and help the businesses stay afloat throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Farmers Market
The Puyallup Main Street Association’s Farmers Market has relocated back downtown after a few months of the South Hill Mall parking lot. Executive director Kerry Yanasak said they have been eager to return. The Puyallup Farmers Market is the largest in the state.
While in the mall parking lot, prepared food was not allowed, and downtown businesses didn’t benefit.
“We are the ‘Main Street Association,’ and focus is the downtown core,” Yanasak said. “We had to move downtown to get some foot traffic down here.”
Vendors are still about 10 feet apart, masks are required and social distancing between customers is encouraged. On Sept. 5, the first Saturday back downtown, between 70-80 vendors sold crafts, produce and services to about 1,500 visitors, Yanasak said.
Rather than in Pioneer Park where it’s traditionally been held, the farmers market is located in the 100 block of 2nd Street SE, in the street and adjacent parking lots. Yanasak said there was not enough room to practice social distancing with all the vendors at the park.
The city has sectioned off the northeastern part of downtown to help out.
The city has opened up parking lots behind the library and City Hall for customers. Yanasak said the city’s partnership has been crucial, helping to speed-up the permitting process.
“They were right on it,” he said.
Outdoor seating
The city has plans to build eight “parklets” or portable patios for restaurants to have more outside seating.
Puyallup has rolled out four parklets thus far at a total cost of $6,000 with federal CARES funding provided by the state for the coronavirus response, Kirkelie said.
Two downtown restaurants, Charlie’s and Wicked Pizza, each received two of the parklets to help ease the loss of business during the pandemic.
Co-owner of Charlie’s, Janice Carter, said she hopes the outside seating will encourage more customers to see they are open and dine-in.
Charlie’s did not offer outdoor seating prior to the parklets. Carter said some customers are choosing only to sit outdoors now. The coronavirus is less likely to be transmitted outside, and Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan limits indoor seating to tables form a single household for Phase 2.
“They make our business noticeable. It shows that we are open and doing the best we can to get seating for everyone,” Carter said.
Charlie’s has seen business cut in half compared to last year, she said.
“Business has been very slow, but we are interested to see if customers enjoy it,” Carter said.
Another 11 restaurants have expressed interest in having the parklets, Kirkelie said.
“This is a pilot project where the City is looking for ways to help downtown restaurants that have limited indoor seating capacity because of the pandemic,” he said.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 5:15 AM.
