The winter of 2022 is here. It is the second full winter under the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first winter, The idea of living life outdoors other than during the high summer became the thing to do. We managed to “take it outside” as best we could.
Outdoor dining has become very popular and has defied conventional wisdom. We dined outdoors well into the fall, and even during some points in the winter. A subcategory of outdoor dining is the so-called “igloos.” The feeling among some restaurant owners who have used the igloos is mixed on whether they will remain after the pandemic. Last year, the prefabricated structures proved to be wildly popular and popped up everywhere from Woonsocket to Newport. They can seat as many as six diners. At the Ocean House in Westerly, there were also some repurposed ski gondolas. The three luxuriously appointed shelters – which have the feel of Cinderella’s coach – were a big hit last winter and are back this year. They are described by the five-star resort as “three well-appointed gondolas with two firepits, and touches of soft, white-lit trees, thoughtfully designed to transport guests to a memorable winter wonderland.”
As was reported last winter, local and state governments are lurching toward making policy on outdoor dining in public spaces. The sidewalks of Newport are prime real estate for seating. The Newport City Council attempted to address the issue at a meeting in April. Councilwoman Kathryn Leonard expressed the prevailing viewpoint, stating the public interest must be served by examining if public spaces such as sidewalks and parking spots are to be used. If so, what would the arrangement be for the business to use them? It was a fair question, but the issue was never fully settled. Now it is time again to address the question.
The shape of things to come may be in New York City. Officials there are not sugar-coating things. The ad hoc program of 2020 was to prop up the businesses by cutting out red tape. Now that things may become permanent, one city official said the red tape will return. It should come as no surprise to those in the food service community.
In a discussion of the business climate, consultant Maggie Longo, restaurant and hospitality counselor at the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, brought up a point of view not often heard in the din of the last 21 months. As she put it, “Everyone wants to be in the restaurant business.” It has never lost its image as a glamorous industry. Longo said the impression outside the business is that restaurant ownership and management is a lucrative enterprise.
But, while the rewards of service of food, drink and hospitality are substantial in nonfinancial aspects, the dollars and cents of the day-to-day operation of an eatery can be a matter of pennies. Many establishments can’t afford the red tape.
In Newport, Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano said on my radio show that it was the act of the City Council in extending existing emergency powers held by City Manager Joseph J. Nicholson Jr. In reviewing each restaurant’s plans, he will carry the ad hoc public-private partnership through the upcoming season, after which further study will be needed to find what should be done permanently.
“Some restaurants will have to go through the [city] manager to allow [outdoor dining spaces]. [Nicholson] is in the best position to judge, then he can recommend to the council,” Napolitano said. The rumor on restaurant row of new fees being assessed may come up again. Meanwhile, the temperature inside each igloo is approximately 15 degrees warmer than the outside temperature without the use of any heating element. Warm hospitality awaits and should be a comfort.
Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@BruceNewbury.com.
