CLEVELAND — The weather is warming up and that means more comfortable outdoor dining in Cleveland.
Earlier this month, the city announced an extension to the temporary outdoor dining permit program that started in June 2020. Now, the permits expire on Nov. 1, 2021.
So far, 13 businesses in the city have been approved for the outdoor dining permit. Those include:
| 1. Buffalo Wild Wings | 724 Prospect Ave. E |
| 2. BOP STOP | 2920 Detroit Ave |
| 3. City Tap | 748 Prospect Ave. E |
| 4. Market Garden Brewery | 1947 West 25th Street |
| 5. Bier Markt | 1948 West 25th Street |
| 6. Nano brew | 1859 West 25th street |
| 7. Tremont Taphouse | 2572 Scranton Rd |
| 8. Winking Lizard | 811 Huron Road |
| 9. Sweet Moses | 6800 Detroit Ave |
| 10. Rowley Inn | 1104 Rowley Ave |
| 11. Bookhouse Brewing | 1526 W 25th St |
| 12. Opal | 4250 Pearl Rd |
| 13. Trattoria | 12207 Mayfield Rd |
In an email, the city said three businesses are waiting approval and one was denied.
A follow-up to find out which business was denied was not answered.
Approved businesses can take over existing private parking lots and on-street parking spaces.
For the Tremont Taphouse, the approval of their permit means more opportunities for money coming in.
Chris Lieb, a partner in the taphouse, said the patio has been a highlight in the last year.
"You know, people feel safer out here," he said. "It's usually pretty full."
The patio the taphouse has now can fit about 50 people. The business was approved for a temporary outdoor dining space.
And customers here don't have to go far. The new dining space will be in the bar's existing parking lot.
"We're going to not do too many so we don't crush ourselves," Lieb said about how many customers they can handle in the new space. "But I'm looking at probably 10 more picnic style tables out there."
Lieb said he plans to put down fresh gravel and string up lights over the temporary space. This space will also have the concrete Jersey barriers that can be seen along West 25th in Ohio City.
He hopes the expansion and the warmer weather bring in more business.
"I'm happy to be coming out the other side," he said. "I'm glad to be where we're at. And it's fun and it's exciting. And people are starting to come back out and we're getting busier and busier."
Lieb does worry the increased tables and potential for more business could be tough on the current staffing level.
"We need line cooks, we need servers -- and we can't get anybody to come work," he said. Some of his old employees have moved on to other jobs.
For Lieb this temporary expansion is a lead up to a more permanent expansion which is in the works for the bar.
The temporary takeover of the taphouse parking lot will start after the NFL Draft. Lieb plans to, "get it all ready and done by the end of May."
