Outdoor dining now allowed on portion of 9th Street on weekends
The City of Huntington will close the southbound lane of 9th Street between 3rd and 4th avenues on Fridays and Saturdays beginning this weekend so restaurants in that area can offer outdoor dining.
The street closure, which was unanimously supported by the five restaurants in the designated area, will allow the restaurants to serve their customers at tables set up in the southbound lane of 9th Street from 5 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The southbound lane of 9th Street will close to vehicular traffic beginning at 3 p.m. and reopen by midnight on these days.
“Our eclectic mix of locally-owned restaurants is an integral reason why our downtown has become such a vibrant destination,” Mayor Steve Williams said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurateurs to adjust their business model. The City of Huntington is committed to helping them in any way possible.”
Allowing dining on 9th Street is the latest effort by the City to help local businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. Other initiatives include:
- Mayor Williams proposing and City Council approving the elimination of the business and occupation tax for retail shops and restaurants from April 1-September 30.
- Assisting restaurants with parking accommodations when many of them adjusted to a curbside service business model.
- Distributing personal protective equipment in June to more than 100 small businesses at no cost.
- Mayor Williams signing an executive order in May that established temporary rules that expedite the process for restaurants to set up outdoor dining.
Only the five restaurants on 9th Street between 3rd and 4th avenues will be eligible to participate in the weekend street dining, and they all must comply with all state and federal social distancing guidelines. Those restaurants include Summit Beer Station, Sip Downtown Brasserie, Marshall Hall of Fame Café, Bodega Market and Café and Paula Vega Cakes.
“I was instantly on board when Mayor Williams approached me with the idea of closing a portion of 9th Street for additional outdoor seating,” said Jeff McKay, owner of Summit Beer Station. “It’s been a frustrating couple months with operating at 50 percent capacity. During weekends, we’ve become accustomed to having to turn away just as many customers as we serve in order to comply with indoor dining guidelines. I am immensely grateful for Mayor Williams’ support over the course of this pandemic and my staff and I are excited to offer expanded, socially-distanced seating that will hopefully allow us to return to the type of weekend business we were used to seeing prior to the pandemic.”
In an effort to adhere to social distancing guidelines and discourage large gatherings, no other vendors will be allowed to set up on 9th Street and live music will be prohibited.
Other areas of the central business district were considered for outdoor dining, but restaurant owners in those areas declined, either for parking reasons or because outdoor dining did not fit their current business model.