Ridgewood Rethinks Downtown Space As Restaurants Begin Service

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Downtown Ridgewood will soon have a different look on the weekends, as some parts of downtown streets will be empty of cars and full of appetizers, drinks and entrées.

As restaurants and bars across the state prepare to open for outdoor dining, the village officially announced that a section of the downtown will be closed off to cars and parking, replaced by tables from area restaurants in a move that Mayor Ramon Hache says will help replace what the establishments will lose in retail space due to state social distancing measures.

On Saturday and Sunday, tables won't be on sidewalks, as those will solely be used for walking. To promote one-way sidewalk use, Hache says they have been marked with directional arrows, as well as marks to indicate six-feet spacing.

He said an "army of volunteers" will be present to help guide people through the downtown transition.

A map of the plan for downtown is available on the village website.

The weekend addition to downtown begins on Saturday, June 20, but the village has offered additional guidance for restaurant service Monday through Friday.

During the week, restaurants and retail establishments can place tables outside their establishments on the sidewalks.

A 52-inch pedestrian pathway must be kept at all times, according to the regulations established for retail businesses, and a table that is no larger than 8-feet can be placed outside a retail business.

For restaurants, tables must be placed 6-feet apart from each other, unless the establishments place an "approved partition" between the tables, in which case the tables can be moved closer together.

However, the regulations for outdoor cafés states that if the business on either side of the restaurant is not offering dining or outdoor retail, then restaurants can place tables outside those spaces with signed permission from the respective landlords.

Outdoor dining begins Monday at 6 a.m., but establishments must have a valid COVID-19 permit issued from the village, according to the regulations.

In total, restaurant owners and retailers must follow a list of 33 rules set by the village, listed in the respective set of regulations.

Hache told Patch on Thursday that the weekend pedestrian mall will continue indefinitely, weather permitting, until restaurants are allowed to open fully under state COVID-19 regulations.

Gov. Phil Murphy said earlier this month bars and restaurants can open for outdoor dining beginning Monday at 6 a.m. Employees of the establishments will have to wear masks, as will patrons who wish to go inside at any point.

Tables will be placed 6-feet apart, and parties will be limited to a maximum of eight people.

To read more on what to expect when you're dining out, click here: Here's What To Do At NJ Bars, Restaurants Under Coronavirus Rule