Outdoor dining option in the works

Downtown Lafayette restaurants could soon be allowed to expand their seating to the streets on the weekends.

It's part of a plan presented by the friends of downtown that would expand dining areas for restaraunts.

News 18's balint szalavari is live in downtown lafayette.

He spoke with one of the planners this morning.

Balint, how will the outside seating concept work?

Meredith, i spoke with friends of downtown lafayette treasurer steve bultinck (belt- ink) this morning and he told me the idea is to bring more people downtown.

It's a concept he believes could benefit downtown businesses.

Bultinck: "it's a great way to jump-start the downtown economy."

Roadways in downtown lafayette may soon look a bit different during the weekends.

Friends of downtown - lafayette organizers like treasurer steve bultinck (belt-ink) are working to bring dining to the streets.

Beltinck: "probably the industry that's been hit the worst in all of this are the downtown restaurants and bars.

And right behind that is the downtown retailers."

During the lafayette board of works meeting tuesday, bultinck presented a plan to close certain city blocks to allow for outside dining.

Under the plan, certain city blocks would close from friday evening until sunday night.

Bultinck says this will allow establishments to operate closer to the 75 percent capacity under current guidelines.

Bultinck: "with the present guidelines, it's really impossible for a restaurant to expand to 75 percent capacity and still meet social distancing inside."

For restaurant owners like don kirby, the plan would allow them to serve more customers.

Kirby: "we're only running at 40 percent capacity because of distancing.

So having the ability to go outside and do a couple of things, but i think the atmosphere alone brings up the excitement about going downtown again."

Kirby says he's excited to have such an opportunity after the setbacks faced earlier this year.

Kirby: "this is a welcoming thing for sure and it's going to be something as a bonus to us, to see something different."

And bultinck (belt-ink) says this is something he can see many downtown business supporting.

Bultinck: "we can get people downtown, they can hit their retailers too so everybody wins economically."

Bultinck (belt-ink) told me they just need the final approval from the tippecanoe county health department.

If approved, organizers plan to start outdoor dining on august 28th, a week from this friday.

Reporting live in lafayette, balint szalavari, news 18.

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