Outdoor patios appear to be taking off in Windsor.
So far in 2021, the city has issued 51 permits for outdoor dining and according to mayor Drew Dilkens, that's a 28 per cent jump compared to last summer.
Dilkens says council will continue to support sidewalk cafe culture as it helps bring new life to neighbourhoods and businesses as they continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He says this is a step to getting back to normal.
"The city has bent over backwards trying to find a way to allow our restaurants that have been really hard hit during the pandemic to get people back to their businesses, to employ people and get people outside enjoying a safe experience as we get to, hopefully, the tail end of COVID together," says Dilkens.
He says it's great to see more businesses getting on board.
"Last year went over so well that I think it had other businesses saying we need to do something similar to create that same experience," says Dilkens. "So that's why I think you're seeing more come forward this year. I think we're going to see these parklets go well into the fall and I would expect next year we're going to see great demand as well."
He says he's expecting numbers to continue to increase.
"Last year was the summer of flexibility. This year is the summer of recovery and I think we're going to have a second summer of recovery in 2022 as we get through, hopefully, the tail end of the pandemic here and this will be an essential part of that, finding ways for people to enjoy dining outside and having cafes outside where it's a little safer," he says.
Dilkens adds, in addition to the 51 patio permits already issued this year, 11 more are in the works across he city.
With files from Rob Hindi