Outdoor dining in public spaces resumed in most of Boston this week. But in communities like Cambridge and Needham, it never went away.
Needham Select Board member Marianne Cooley said that with the exception of January, she and her husband have been eating outside at town restaurants all year.
"We may be crazier than most," she confessed. "My husband grew up in Europe, and Europeans eat outside. He says we can bundle up and we'll be fine."
The Helmand Restaurant in Cambridge has offered outdoor dining year round. General manager Ali Tokhi said they have eight tables set up on the sidewalk outside the restaurant with a barrier protecting the area, and propane heaters are available to help keep customers warm.
"Some customers preferred outdoors despite the cold conditions," Tokhi said. "People enjoyed it. For some, they really want to sit outside, and we give it to them."
Joseph Barr, director of traffic, parking and transportation for the city of Cambridge, is tasked with making outdoor dining in public spaces a success.
"We've been very conscientious and have worked very hard to make sure we're accommodating the needs of the restaurants but also making sure that the sidewalks are accessible and we keep bus stops open," Barr said.
Restaurants have also taken on the responsibility of cleaning the public spaces they occupy, according to Barr — even in the snow. He considers it a fair tradeoff.
"If you look up and down the streets of Cambridge, there's some pretty elaborate carpentry projects that provide some protection from the adjacent traffic and also make it a more appealing space," he said. "We had one restaurant that had small potted palm trees and landscaping. You see lots of different decorations."
The town of Needham has taken the lead in keeping restaurants afloat in the pandemic. Cooley, the town select board member, said that alcohol license fees have been reduced 50%, and downtown parking is free. Curbside parking spaces and town parking lots have also been set aside for outdoor dining. And last summer, a white tent with lighting was erected on the Needham Town Common for people who ordered takeout food to eat underneath.
Cooley said the tent will go up again in a couple of weeks, and she's already looking forward to it. "You know, one of the best things of the pandemic has been the outdoor dining and eating under the tent, under the twinkling lights on a nice night," she said. "It's really a treat."
Cooley predicts that out door dining is here to stay. In Cambridge, Barr said that the city will likely take a more cautious approach.
"I would anticipate people are going to want to keep some of these changes," he said. "There's going to be a lot of push to do it, because it not only gives restaurants more space to work with, [but] eating outside can be fun."
