Toronto restaurant owners are furious over denied curb lane patios
As fatal as lockdowns were for Toronto’s bars, cafes and restaurants, the inception of the CafeTO program and the vibrant curbside patios that popped up all around the city as a result proved to be a silver lining to the restrictions on indoor dining that debilitated the industry.
Diners were happy to spend nearly $200 million in Summer 2021 alone enjoying these expanded patio spaces, which completely changed the look and feel of our neighbourhoods and brought them to life in a whole new way.
Most seemed to support the use of curb lanes for outdoor dining spaces over parking, and pushed for the program to stay long after the lockdown days were over. But even though it is continuing this summer, restaurants are claiming there is suddenly way more red tape and delays to deal with, making patios they had in previous years impossible to open.
Seriously is there any one that can help?? Dealing with the city right now is impossible & this is a stupid reason to disallow a patio that worked just fine last year (at 3 times the size) I am so frustrated by how awful they’ve made this VERY NICE THING THAT EVERYONE LOVED!
— Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) June 9, 2023
Renowned restaurateur Jen Agg is among those who have been publicly questioning why it has been so difficult to get permission to install her patio at Le Swan this year, especially seeing as she applied for a smaller curb lane space than the one that “saved” her restaurant last summer.
This past week, Agg called out the City multiple times on Twitter, citing endless hoops, high expenses, no help from staff and a more than month-long holdup to find out her patio’s fate.
Even though she says her patio out front of 892 Queen Street West caused no problems last year, her application was denied due to the fact it is in a location that is less than 15 metres upstream of the closest curb edge of an un-signalized intersection or pedestrian crossover, which violates municipal code.
The City denying resto’s patios that worked in previous years, despite the fact they’ve made the footprint of them ~even smaller!~ this year is obscene. If you had them previously, should be automatically approved. To have them ~denied~ in JUNE is offensive – “not feasible” sure. https://t.co/KxhWFKCo0E pic.twitter.com/tIuWkT08gP
— Edward Row (@edwardrow) June 9, 2023
Many are sharing in Agg’s outrage, calling it appalling that the process to apply for (or even just renew) a permit for a streetside patio this summer has been so arduous.
“CafeTO patios didn’t just save dozens and dozens of businesses, it was the most alive Toronto’s ever felt in the summer months,” one person wrote on Twitter, to which one person hilariously speculated, “That’s your mistake. You’re not supposed to feel alive in Toronto.”
Some are even suggesting that the celebrity restaurant owner “pretend” she received approval and set up a patio anyways, but Agg pointed out this could jeopardize her liquor licence, though the move would be her style.
She’s also not the only one noticing the dearth of outdoor dining spaces on streets that have been full of them the last few summers.
“The Patio District” with 2 lanes of parking and no patios … #cafeto pic.twitter.com/x2S8TK1CKY
— Observing The City (@observetoronto) June 10, 2023
A column from Edward Keenan for the Star asserts that in trying to make the CafeTO program permanent, the City ruined it with tighter rules, higher fees, and longer waits.
The City told Keenan that the delays are a normal result of application reviews “to ensure road safety and other concerns,” but as he aptly notes, “if the detailed review process you’ve set up for patio approvals takes well into the warm weather patio season to conclude, then you’ve botched it.”
Given that restaurants have to wait until June for permits after a mere 500 applications were submitted for the 2023 season — compared to more than 800 in 2022, when Agg’s patio was allowed — he makes a fair point.
This should have been so easy. Had a patio last year? Pay your registration fee and do it again.#cafeTO #TOpoli https://t.co/298BsHkPdM
— NoDogInTheFight (@NDITF) June 8, 2023
Even in its heyday, the CafeTO program fell short in some ways compared to the patio culture and infrastructure boasted by other cities, but it was a big step for Toronto, and one that improved the summers of countless local spots and patrons alike.
While many are vehement, others are joking about the absurd approvals process on social media, and poking fun at the city’s car-centric nature and prioritization of drivers over pedestrians and independent businesses.
So excited to get approved for this CaféTO patio.
Unfortunately, this was the only section of our property not within 15m of an unsignalled intersection. https://t.co/zNleYZUIgB
— Graeme 🟣 (@hexagraeme) June 10, 2023
The whole ordeal has been especially infuriating given that patio season is already in full swing, and is so short-lived in the city.
Complaints abound on social media, as well as suggestions for how the City approve their process, such as, at the very least, having firm dates for when applications have to be submitted and approved, when restaurants can begin installation, and when they can kick off their opening weekend.
“The ‘detailed review’ of the mere 500 applicants should take at most a week,” one resident asserted.
Can somebody at @cityoftoronto please get their act together regarding @CafeTO ? It’s June 2 and nothing’s going on. I’d like my patio season to be longer then a weekend in late September.
— Goods&Provisions (@GoodsandProvis) June 2, 2023
With the traction Agg’s tweets on the subject have gained, perhaps there is a chance that at least her patio will be spared this summer. But then again, it’s rare that an appeal from essentially the entire population gets anything changed in this city.
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