Dining Changes

Restaurants in Starkville could soon be spilling out into the streets.

Business at restaurants in starkville could soon be spilling out into the streets// it's part of a new dining option called street side cafe.

Starkville city leaders are deciding whether to allow restaurants to set up tables in their parking lots... to serve patrons outdoors// our quentin smith speaks with a local business about what this could mean for them.... he joins us live in the studio to explain... joey... one restaurant owner tells me due of the coronavirus....som e people are still reluctant to dine inside his establishment.... thats why he's in favor of this proposal because it'll give customers a more comfortable dining option.... while also giving his business an extra boost... nat pretty soon, workers at moe's original bbq could go from their normal routine of serving customers inside the restaurant....to having an outdoor venue.

The street side cafe is something owner kiel hebert is definitely in favor of.

"we're excited about it especially with restaurants being at half capacity, any extra seating is always a good thing."

Hebert says he thinks this addition could be a revenue generator for his restaurant and bring in more foot traffic to the downtown area.

"that's one of the big sellers is if you have outdoor seating or not.

We don't have any, all of our seating is indoors right now, so the addition of this i think would help out dramatically."

According to the proposal...only moe's original bbq.... 9-29 coffee bar... and restaurant tyler... will be able to take part in this temporary street side cafe.

"we're taking about nine parking places and making them into an area that can be bounded by planters and some blocks that are colorful, and inside that area we would put small tables and chairs and umbrellas."

Mayor lynn spruill says all three restaurants will share the 9 spaces, which consists of parking places spanning from moe's down to restaurant tyler.

" i expect it to be impactful in the sense that it's new and people like to see new things, and it's kind of different so i think that it'll be a positive thing."

In the event city leaders approve this plan.....hebert says his staff is already thinking about ways to adapt to the street side cafe.... "generally we are fast casual.

You come in, you order at the counter, we don't have a waiting staff but we might implement a wait staff for people sitting outside and start doing things like that that aren't in our normal day-to- day operations right now."

Mayor spruill says moe's original bbq.... 9-29 coffee bar... and restaurant tyler have expressed interest in being a part of the street side cafe.

It's strictly for downtown businesses now... but there could be a possibility that this idea could eventually spread to other areas... the board will vote on this matter during tonight's meeting..