As of June 11th 2020, the Ontario Government has allowed outdoor dining to occur- including Guelph patios downtown. As part of the Council-approved seasonal Guelph patios program, parts of Macdonell and Wyndham streets will be closed to vehicles.
This happens every weekend from 9 a.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday until September 6, should local public health and provincial restrictions allow it. This approved Guelph patios program will run for 3 years 2021-2023 in downtown Guelph.
Guelph restaurants and bars in the downtown core must apply for a permit to have a patio. Because of the pandemic, many businesses temporarily closed. Having they ability to operate again is great for them. Businesses can find more details about the application process through the City of Guelph website.
John Regan, General manager of Economic Development and Tourism for the City of Guelph said, “We know Guelphites want to support local businesses. Businesses are looking for ways to generate more revenue and keep employees during these hard times.”
Furthermore, he stated “One of our goals is to help businesses succeed and add value to the community.
This program is one way that we can do that. It also provides us an opportunity. This is to better understand how downtown Guelph can better activate in the summer months.
We could also expand outdoor commercial space.”
Downtown Guelph Patios Street Closure Map
Any vehicles within the road closures between 9am Friday and 5am Monday will be towed.
Additionally, step 3 of the province’s reopening plan permits indoor dining, which the province entered on July 16th. However, not all patrons feel comfortable dining indoors yet. Therefore, these patios allow them to support Downtown Guelph business in a outdoor setting.
Moreover, the seasonal Guelph patios program allows downtown pubs in Guelph to have a larger footprint that just the sidewalk. This will allow them to service more customers at one time. This is a huge help during the pandemic as social distancing protocols limits the number of indoor dining tables.
Then, after the pandemic protocols are no longer in place, these restaurants will be able to fill indoor and outdoor dining to maximum capacity.
Beth and Ryan encourage everyone to go out and support local business including our local craft beer producers! Keep an eye out for them on the downtown Guelph patios!
Beth and Ryan, Guelph Real estate agents are always available to help with any real estate needs.
