New Canaan moves back start of outdoor dining; will begin May 1
According to the minutes from the Board of Selectman meeting, the decision was made after listening to concerns from some of the town's retail businesses, which complained that the seating cuts into the already limited space available for parking.
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The New Canaan Board of Selectman has voted unanimously to move the start of outdoor dining back one month.
It will now run from May 1 until the first Sunday in November, as opposed to previous years, where it ran from April 1 until Oct. 31.
"I don't love that. I love eating outside," said New Canaan resident Caroline Thune after hearing the news.
According to the minutes from the Board of Selectman meeting, the decision was made after listening to concerns from some of the town's retail businesses, which complained that the seating cuts into the already limited space available for parking.
Karen Christiansen, who works in sales at Sarah Campbell said it is a major issue.
"We've had people say they've tried to come, but they couldn't find a parking spot," she said.
While most restaurants opted not to speak on camera, the ones with less indoor space in particular said they need those extra seats and that the benefits go beyond just increased capacity.
Konrad Dziedzic, the pub manager at The Playhouse, says the outdoor seating attracts customers.
"A big portion of our business comes from people walking down the street…we definitely do rely on that," he said.
Restaurants did also say the tradeoff to get the extra weekend in November could help soften the blow.
One business owner told News 12 off camera that they suggested the compromise of allowing just sidewalk dining earlier, but said the idea of separating that from street dining did not go anywhere with the town.
