Recently San Jose City Council unanimously approved the continuation of San Jose’s Al Fresco dining. This outdoor dining program has successfully assisted struggling businesses since it was first passed in May 2020 as they work to remain open through the pandemic.
“San Jose Al fresco was a critical lifeline for many of our small businesses during the pandemic,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. “San José restaurateurs and merchants are the backbone of our community and we must continue to help them on the road to economic recovery–while maintaining safe spaces for residents to socialize outdoors.”
This extension will allow currently cordoned off streets, such as San Pedro St, to remain closed to cars and open to patio dining through June 30, 2022. Meanwhile, parking lots and private property utilized under the program for outdoor dining will continue to be permitted through December 2022. The continuation of the program will be revisited in both cases at the times they are set to expire.
According to the City of San Jose: “To assist with the transition to a longer-term presence of Al Fresco-related spaces for businesses, San José is working with the Knight Foundation on a grant agreement for $200,000 that would help produce a template design for parklets to ease the permitting process. Costs covered by the grant include staff facilitation, technical expert consultant review of the designs, and translation services.”
