City of Buffalo working on a plan to bring outdoor seating to area businesses

City of Buffalo working on a plan to bring outdoor seating to area businesses

GOOD EVENING...I'MASHLEY ROWE...WHILE THE NUMBEROF UNEMPLOYEDCONTINUES TO BUILD...SO DOES THE MISSIONTO GET YOU BACK TOWORK.THAT'S WHY BUSINESSOWNERS WANT TOFIRE UP GRILLSACROSS THE STATEAND PUT SERVERS INHUNDREDS... IF NOTTHOUSANDS OFRESTAURANTS MUCHSOONER THAN THESTATE IS PLANNING.RIGHT NOWRESTAURANTS AREPART OF PHASETHREE.SEVERAL GROUPSARE PUSHING FORPHASE TWO..

WITH ASIDE ORDER OF"OUTDOOR" DINING.TONIGHT 7EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER JENNACALLARI TAKES A LOOKAT SOMEUNCONVENTIONALIDEAS THAT COULDHAVE YOU DINING INTHE MIDDLE OF SOMEQUEEN CITY STREETS..THE DINING AREA MAYBE CLOSED, BUT ATBERRAFATO'S PRIMAPIZZA AND PASTA ONCHIPPEWA, THEPHONES ARE STILLRINGING.NATS PHONE RINGINGTHEY'RE HAPPY TO BEOPEN... AND WITHWESTERN NEW YORKENTERING PHASE ONEOF THE STATE'SREOPENING, THERE'SEVEN MORE OPTIMISM.KEVIN LAKE / GM OFBERRAFATO'S: "THERE'SPEOPLE FINALLYCOMING BACK TOWORK A LITTLE BIT,CONSTRUCTION GUYS,YOU'RE SEEING MOREACTIVITY NOW WITHTHE NICE WEATHER."AND AS THE WEATHERSTARTS TO CHANGE,ANOTHER CHANGECOULD BE ON THEHORIZON.

THAT'SBECAUSE THE CITY OFBUFFALO IS WORKINGTHROUGH DETAILS OF APLAN THAT WOULDBENEFIT BOTHBUSINESSES ANDPATRONS.BRENDAN MEHAFFY /STRATEGIC PLANNING""WE WANT TO DO MAKESURE THAT PEOPLECAN ENGAGE AND GOOUT AND GET A GOODMEAL BUT IT'S ONE IN AWAY THAT RECOGNIZESTHE VERY DIFFICULTCIRCUMSTANCESWE'RE IN RIGHT NOW."STAND-UP: "ONE OFTHE THINGS THAT'SBEING DISCUSSED ISSHUTTING STREETSDOWN LIKE CHIPPEWAAND ALLOWINGRESTAURANTS TOEXPAND THEIROUTDOOR SEATING TOTHE STREETS."KEVIN / BERRAFATO'S:"I THINK IT WOULD BEGREAT FOR CHIPPEWAAND THE WHOLE CITYOF BUFFALO."IT'S A GREAT IDEA ONPAPER, BUT THERE'S ALOT OF THINGS THECITY NEEDS TODISCUSS -- LIKEPREVENTINGFESTIVAL-LIKECROWDS.BRENDAN: "THIS IS ANACCOMMODATION THATWE NEED TO THINKTHROUGH WITH THEBUSINESS OWNERS TOMAKE SURE THAT WEAREN'T CREATING APUBLIC HEALTH ISSUEAS WE ARE TRYING TOHELP THEM WITH THEIRBUSINESS NEEDS."RESTAURANTS LIKETHE MELTING POINT ONALLEN LIKE THE IDEA.THE SMALL EATERYDOESN'T HAVE MUCHSEATING TO BEGINWITH SO THIS WOULDHELP A LOT.MATTHEW YUHNKY /OWNER, MELTINGPOINT: "THAT OFFERSUS AN ALTERNATIVEFOR SMALL SPACESLIKE OURS HERE TOSERVICE THE PEOPLETHAT WOULD LIKE TODINE WITH US."AS LONG AS IT'S SAFEFOR EVERYONE.

THEREMAY BE NO DEFINITEPLAN IN PLACE YET,BUT THE POSSIBILITY ISEXCITING TO MANY.KEVIN BERRAFATO: "IFEVERYBODY'S CAREFULAND THEY DO THAT, ITHINK EVERYBODYWILL BE FINE AND IT'STIME TO GET THISTHING MOVING."THE CITY SAYS THENEXT STEP IS TALKINGWITH BUSINESSESABOUT HOW A PLANLIKE THIS WOULDWORK SAFELY.

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