Duckworth Street restaurants like the pedestrian mall. They just wish it was bigger

The Water Street pedestrian mall is getting rave reviews in St. John's — even from restaurant owners on neighbouring Duckworth Street. So much so, Adam Walsh writes, that they want a piece of the action for themselves but feel they're being left out.

Restaurateurs want in on the pedestrian mall action

Adam Walsh · CBC News · Posted: Jul 10, 2020 2:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 10, 2020

Phil Maloney stands in front of Bannerman Brewing Co. on Duckworth Street. He is trying to get approval from the city to put picnic tables on his property in order to maximize his summer business. (Adam Walsh/CBC)

Standing outside of Bannerman Brewing Co. on Duckworth Street, Phil Maloney looks at his parking lot and is frustrated that it's not filled with picnic tables and customers enjoying a pint and some nibbles.

"Obviously we can only have 50 per cent capacity inside but if we can keep spreading people outside, it's just safer to be outside anyway and we can have a few more butts in seats," said Maloney, a co-owner of the company that turned an old St. John's fire hall into a hip bar and tasting room.

Maloney wants to try to emulate some of the success he's seeing a short walk away, down along the Water Street pedestrian mall. It's a summer experiment the City of St. John's has undertaken to help retailers, restaurants and bars cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the last week, it's been filled with people who are stopping in for eats and drinks on newly built decks.

Maloney's plan, however, is still waiting for the green light — something he said will take at least a month, if not longer.

He is not alone with his feeling of frustration. Other restaurant owners on the street say they're concerned there may even be collateral damage because of the success next door.

Ken Pittman says his business on Duckworth Street is suffering because people are using it as a parking lot to head to the pedestrian mall. (Adam Walsh/CBC)

"[Duckworth Street] is being used as a parking lot and a refuge for people just to get out of the street down there and come up here and walk away," said Ken Pittman, chef and owner of Seto Kitchen and Bar.

Pittman calls the pedestrian mall a brilliant idea but wishes it wasn't having a negative impact on his business.

He said last Saturday all of his reservations were late because customers could not find parking in the area.

Missed opportunities?

Pittman, who is also the owner of the Big Boy Baos food truck, said the decision not to open up the pedestrian mall for additional food trucks was also a big disappointment.

"It's a carnival, fair-like feel, so why not have food trucks involved?" he said.

Brian and Kate Vallis stand in a empty lot across the street from their restaurant on Duckworth Street. They hope to get approval to turn it into a community beer garden. (Adam Walsh/CBC )

Further down Duckworth, at Piatto Pizzeria and Enoteca, co-founders Kate and Brian Vallis want to create a carnival feel of their own on an empty lot across from their restaurant.

They're proposing the creation of a community beer garden.

"We can have it levelled and filled with gravel, picnic tables. And get some of the food trucks, other businesses that have been excluded from the Water Street pedestrian mall," said Kate Vallis.

Vallis said the hope is the space would help draw traffic up from Water Street.

Trying to survive

The plans are all part of one large effort: staying in business.

"First of all I want to survive. Because we've already suffered through Snowmageddon and COVID and 15 weeks of shutdown. We want to survive," said Brian Vallis.

He said July and August are critical for the restaurant cycle because it's when they generate their highest revenues.

"It's almost 12:30, a beautiful sunny day, our restaurant would normally be full now. Today we have one table," said Brian Vallis.

A man in a black suit standing near a cross walk. — Mayor Danny Breen says he thinks the pedestrian mall will benefit everyone downtown in the long term. (Adam Walsh/CBC)

Mayor Danny Breen said the city wanted to get the pedestrian mall done quickly, so they've had to figure things out as they've gone along.

"I do understand the people on Duckworth Street, the businesses, that they would like to have this type of pedestrian mall concept. This year it just had too many complications for us to be able to do it," he said.

Breen said there will be a consultation process after this summer to figure out what to do — or not to do — next year.

Long-term benefit expected, Breen says

As for this summer, he thinks it's a net benefit for the area.

"People are coming into Water Street and working their way up through the lanes and alleyways to Duckworth Street. So I think it will be a benefit to everybody in the long term," said Breen.

The city has also made it easier for restaurants on Duckworth Street to have decks of their own.

In most of the downtown core, applications for outdoor patios located on city-owned sidewalks or parking lanes will no longer require a discretionary use application and public advertisement.

This change shaves about five weeks from the process. It means decks can now be approved in a matter of days.

The owners of Bannerman Brewing Co. want to use the parking lot in front of their building — on their land — for extra customer seating. They say approval will take weeks. (Adam Walsh/CBC)

For Phil Maloney, however, that won't help his hopes of putting out picnic tables on his parking lot.

Maloney said the city advised he could get approved more quickly for a deck on the sidewalk in front of his business than picnic tables on his own property — something he said makes no sense at all.

"It makes me want to laugh and cry all at the same time," he said.