Additional Funding, Relaxed Restaurant Rules To 'Take It Outside'

PROVIDENCE, RI — October has arrived in Rhode Island, and with it the promise of cooler temperatures to come. To help the state's businesses "Take It Outside" as long as possible, the state is providing additional funding and relaxing rules for outdoor dining to allow for more seating.

"Thank God, Mother Nature is cooperating," Gov. Gina Raimondo said. "People have really stepped up [since we launched this initiative]."

Starting now, restaurant seating rules will be relaxed slightly to allow for a few more tables outside. Instead of eight feet between tables, only six feet will be required. While this is not a large change, it will hopefully allow restaurants to offer one or two more tables and increase their business while the weather still allows it, Raimondo said.

In the two weeks since the state announced $1 million in funding to help conduct business outdoors, the state received more than 80 grant applications, most of which were "of excellent quality," Raimondo said.

The funding is available to any business or organization that can move its operations outside, including offices, restaurants, stores, salons and more. The proposals were very creative, Raimondo said, including a community lending library of heat lamps, wifi hotspots outside libraries to allow for more outdoor programming and more.

The flood of quality applicants spurred the state to offer more funding, bringing the total to $5 million. The first, $3 million round of funding will be announced Thursday, with a second, $2 million round coming later. Organizations in need of assistance can still apply for the second round, Raimondo said.

Reopening RI: Read more

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• Additional $1M Available To Businesses To 'Take It Outside'
• New RI Campaign Urges Residents To 'Take It Outside'
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