KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri, will continue to have the option of utilizing outside space with fewer restrictions after the City Council extended a measure it approved earlier in the pandemic.
The council on Thursday voted to extend an ordinance that allows restaurants to move their dining rooms to the sidewalks or, in some cases, block off streets to allow for more dining space.
The ordinance also speeds up the process for those businesses to get permits for outdoor seating and relaxes the requirements for parking spaces.
The council’s action on Thursday extends the ordinance until April 19, 2021.
Restaurant owners already grappling with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemicsaid they worry that business could struggle even more during the winter months. Some plan to add heaters and enclose portions of their outdoor spaces to make customers more comfortable in the cooler weather.
