Lakewood Considers Continuing Outdoor Dining Expansion

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood City Council is considering extending outdoor dining permits for restaurants through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lakewood's current outdoor dining permits and the Temporary Outdoor Dining Resolution are set to expire on Oct. 31. A resolution was introduced last week that would extend the life of those permits. The proposal will be discussed at a future Housing, Planning, and Development Committee meeting.

"Through my conversations with restaurant owners I learned that most customers are not comfortable eating inside and that the expanded outdoor dining options have proved valuable," said Ward 2 Councilperson Jason Shachner in a post on Patch. He said he would support the resolution.

The Temporary Outdoor Dining Resolution was originally passed in June as a way to aid Lakewood restaurants. The goal was to give business owners as much space as possible to serve customers. Each restaurant applied for its own expansion permit and proposed different uses of its new space.