Crews begin work on CaféTO patios as city prepares to bring back popular program

City workers were out across Toronto on Saturday, setting up pylons, barrels and barriers as they began work on a popular program that allows restaurants to expand patio space.

CaféTO is expected to support more than 1,000 restaurants this summer, the city said in a news release on Saturday. The program enables restaurants to offer outdoor dining on sidewalks and curb lanes and it lets patrons eat outside during the pandemic while they maintain physical distance.

Mayor John Tory said crews are working around the clock to ensure the CaféTO patios are created in time for when they are allowed to open. Outdoor dining is prohibited in Toronto while the provincial stay-at-home order remains in effect. 

"The CaféTO program is very popular and there is enormous demand for the expanded outdoor dining space it can provide restaurants," Tory said in the release.

"Restaurant owners can be confident that this outdoor space will be ready for them to safely welcome customers as soon as health orders allow."

The city said it decided to proceed with CaféTO installations this weekend after it consulted Toronto Public Health and considered the "significant impacts" of provincial restrictions on the restaurant and bar industry.

This weekend, crews are expected to create CaféTO curb lane locations at 73 locations to support 105 restaurants. The city said crews are following traffic plans as they install the safety equipment.

"Installations were scheduled to begin today and are moving ahead as planned to ensure there will be no delay for participating CaféTO restaurants when outdoor dining is permitted," the city said in the release.

The city said it planned to set up 14 curb lane closures along Ossington Avenue on Saturday and the closures will support 26 restaurants and one public parklet. This BIA will have the most installations this weekend.

CaféTO bringing 'renewed energy' to Ossington, official says

Meg Marshall, manager of the Ossington Business Improvement Area, said businesses on the 700-metre strip are holding steady as best they can, but times are not good. The BIA represents more than 190 businesses on Ossington Avenue from Dundas Avenue West to Queen Street West.

"The hope of CaféTO brings some renewed energy and some renewed positivity to the street, knowing that there's an end in sight. Obviously, we have to wait for the provincial restrictions to lift. And when it's safe to do so, then we can all dine outside again," Marshall said on Saturday.

"It's really important that this program be run and be run successfully. We are doing our best to make it as smooth and as seamless as possible."

Marshall said the installation of CaféTO patios can be challenging because businesses that are not restaurants still need access to their storefronts. "There is a lot of moving parts," she said.

But Marshall said building the patios now means restaurants will be ready to go when restrictions ease. "As soon as the province flips the switch, then the patios can just set up and get going," she added.

In all, the city has approved about 800 restaurants for curb lane café locations and 325 restaurants for sidewalk cafes. The locations that are being set up this weekend are both inside and outside BIAs.

The city said it has at least one CaféTO applicant from 70 different BIAs in Toronto. It has approved 125 restaurants outside of BIAs for CaféTO. About 30 per cent of restaurants that have requested curb lane cafés are new to the program and did not have a curb lane café in 2020.

Through the program, the city reallocates public right-of-way on Toronto streets for use by restaurants and bars that have registered and been approved.

Dana Kerbel, owner of the Gull and Firkin Pub, 1943 Queen St E., said adding outdoor patio space last year was vital to the survival of her business.

"It really saved us. It really did. I was very grateful to be able to have that last summer. So same again. And If we can extend it and put up two or three extra tables, even better," Kerbel said.

Space will allows restaurant to generate revenue, city says

Once curb lane locations are installed, restaurant owners and operators must ensure the areas are not used by the public to congregate, sit or dine outside while outdoor dining remains prohibited, the city said.

When provincial orders are eased to allow for outdoor dining, registered and approved restaurants will be permitted to set up sidewalk cafés as soon as possible, the city added.

CaféTO was launched last summer by the city to provide help to restaurants and bars. 

When outdoor dining was permitted, the program helped hundreds of restaurant and bar operators by allowing them to open patios in curb lanes and along sidewalks, expand them as needed and use the additional space outside for physical distancing. The space helped restaurants to generate much-needed revenue, the city said.

The city said crews will continue to set up CaféTO curb lane installations in the coming weeks overnight and during the day.