What’s the future of outdoor dining in Puyallup? Here’s the plan for this winter
It is no secret that outdoor dining became a favorable option for many after the COVID-19 pandemic made its mark. This coming winter, those who frequent or live in Puyallup will be able to continue doing so with some of their favorite eateries and bars downtown.
In summer 2020, the city launched the Puyallup is Open(Air) Pilot Program so businesses can offer an open-air dining option for patrons. Through this program, businesses are given a patio space about the size of one parking space, which they can use to seat customers.
The City Council unanimously voted on Sept. 28 to extend the program to Oct. 31, 2022. They also voted unanimously to have the patio spaces, or “parklets,” available this winter for businesses interested in having them.
Businesses that participated in the program include Anthem Coffee & Tea, CaskCades, The Forum, Mingle, Perry’s, The Rose Restaurant and Wicked Pie Pizza. All businesses also expressed interest in having parklets this winter.
“(Customers) want us to have them all year round,” Reva Wallace, general manager of The Forum, said. “They think that it adds to Puyallup.”
Wallace said The Forum got its parklet in late 2020, and it became a “business saver.” There were times during the weekends when they have had to put out a waitlist for customers who want to sit in the parklet. This summer, their parklet was filled.
Wallace is expecting that the parklet will be just as packed during the winter months, so she started gathering her space heaters and purchasing clear tarps for when it rains, she said.
Laura Perry, co-owner of Perry’s, echoed the same sentiments as Wallace. Perry’s got its parklet in April, which helped give their patrons additional seating options as they only have 12 tables and bar seating available, she said.
“For a long time, we weren’t even able to have our seating (open),” Perry said. “Any little help that we can get with seating was huge for us.”
Having a parklet also helped draw curious patrons into their business, Perry said. It also helps people socially distance and who are not yet comfortable with dining inside.
Perry said they do not know what to expect for the coming winter months, but they are hopeful that patrons will still be interested in using their parklet.
Meredith Neal, economic development manager for the city, said the city is planning to install roofs on the parklets sometime in the winter. All parklets have a similar design, but businesses are free to decorate them with string lights, among other things.
The city paid about $20,000 for all seven parklets, Neal said. Funding came from the CARES Act funding the city received in 2020, which totaled $1.8 million, The News Tribune reported.
City spokesperson Eric Johnson said there might be an opportunity to make the parklets a permanent element of downtown, but that the city will likely keep that conversation ongoing for now.
This story was originally published October 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
