Louisville to allow on-street dining to help restaurants survive pandemic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- On-street dining is coming to Louisville after the city announced it will temporarily allow restaurants to expand outdoor seating into parking lanes.

The measure is another way to help Louisville's restaurants stay alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Never before have we had a reason to slow it down and do this, but now we do," said Sam Cruz, co-owner of Against The Grain on Bardstown Road. "It will help the businesses out immensely."

Cruz has already applied to expand seating into the parking lane as Against the Grain's Public House location is still hanging on.

"We've lost 75% of our seats here. So, if you do the math, that's 75% of our revenue, as well," said Cruz, who believes the new concept can help breathe life into the Highlands.

"I envision walking down Bardstown Road as walking down corridor streets in Paris or in London," he said.

Sam Cruz, co-owner of Against The Grain on Bardstown Road

The city must approve all setups first. Requirements include being immediately adjacent to the sidewalk; in on-street public parking spaces that do not have peak hour restrictions; on streets where the speed limit is 35 mph or less; and located in spaces directly next to the approved business.

Most customers, like Daniel Burford, are on board with the on-street dining concept.

"I think we need to do as much as we can to help businesses in the area," Burford said. "... Outside is better than being inside, but being out in the street also seems kind of scary. So we'd have to find some kind of way to block that off."

Safety barriers will be required, the city said. Cruz thinks it will help slow down traffic slow, and he hopes the concept can stick around after the pandemic.

"The number of innovations that have come from (the pandemic) are countless," he said. "We can hold those things and be better whenever life is better."