New street-side dining pods in Summerside drawing attention

People can now dine out in Summerside's downtown in new wooden dining pods that look like mini patios or gazebos.

The five structures have been designed, purchased and placed near the restaurants in the core of the city by the business support and promotion group Downtown Summerside.

"We made them pretty, obviously, because they're going to be on-street dining," Angie Arsenault, executive director of Downtown Summerside, told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier. 

The structures are being lovingly called TODs Pods — TOD stands for Taste of Downtown, a walkable food festival held in Summerside in 2019 that was cancelled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

'A little extra boost'

Arsenault said it made sense to spend the money on the pods they were going to spend on the festival, because the outdoor seating could help attract customers to local restaurants having a tough time under pandemic restrictions.

"We just wanted to give them a little extra boost, in a small way that we could," she said. "It also is just a smart long-term investment for downtown Summerside." 

The pods are portable, so could be used for a multitude of events in the city, she said. They each contain bench seating and a table. 

"A lot of restaurants have adapted and are now doing takeout, so we're giving more outdoor dining spaces for the restaurants," Arsenault said, noting that restaurants on P.E.I. are also limited under public health rules to a capacity indoors of 50 people. 

The restaurants have been very appreciative of the pods — "They're really grateful," Arsenault said, adding customers have been using the pods and cleaning up after themselves.

The pods are owned and are being maintained by Downtown Summerside, which has staff cleaning them a couple times a day. 

In the winter, the pods will be moved close to where outdoor activities such as outdoor skating take place. 

The group hopes to add more pods next year. 

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