2 a.m. patio closures could become permanent

If you're a fan of deep talks over drinks that stretch into the early hours of the morning, the City of Ottawa may have your back this summer. 

A draft bylaw being discussed this week could make several changes to help restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent, including allowing patios on sidewalks, on-street parking spaces and roads to stay open until 2 a.m.

Following a step in this direction in 2020, city councillors voted in March 2021 to let restaurants and bars expand their patios and permitted those on municipal property to remain open, in part to energize a beleaguered hospitality sector. 

They also approved a plan to let the city close streets to make room for the expanded patios. 

Allowing patios on municipal rights-of-way to continue to stay open late will only help establishments struggling with staffing shortages, reduced traffic and inflation, said the Ottawa chair of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association.

"[It's] not necessarily pandemic related or, for downtown businesses, convoy related," Sarah Chown said Saturday, "but there's a number of other things that are sort of compounding for us at the same time."

Chown also said she's disappointed that fees associated with right-of-way patios could return this year, albeit only at half of what they normally cost. 

Patio rules varied

Patio hours used to vary depending on where they were, with some having to close by 11 p.m.

Those on private property — like the one at Metropolitain Brasserie, where Chown is a managing partner — weren't subject to those restrictions, meaning they've always been able to stay open late.

The current rules put "every business on the same playing field," she said. 

All patios are still subject to the city's noise bylaws and Chown believes the past few years are evidence that extending patio hours isn't creating non-stop noise pollution.

"I don't think we're talking about throwing raging parties," she said. "We're talking about people sitting around and having a couple of glasses of wine late into the evening and having conversation with their friends."

Terry Fitzpatrick said he's thankful patio bylaws have loosened up, something that allowed him to add several extra seats to his patio at Petit Bill's Bistro.

"I wouldn't say it saved the business [but] it saved jobs because we could use more people," he said.

Fitzpatrick added seating to his own property, the sidewalk and in front of his neighbour's storefront with their consent.

The co-owner of the Wellington West restaurant is hoping for a more normal summer season and said the extension, at least for his business, is no longer needed. 

He didn't love how his tables encroached on the sidewalk, but said other restaurateurs may find the changes are still necessary. 

"The other side of it, though, is we have to start thinking: are we inconveniencing the public as well?"

Transportation committee is slated to vote on the updated right-of-way patio bylaw Thursday. The full city council would also have to vote yes for the changes to happen.