Philadelphia restaurant operators scramble to comply with new streeterie regulations

MANAYUNK - The outdoor dining scene could look a lot different in Philadelphia soon. New regulations and licensing requirements are going into effect and it’s sending many businesses into a mad dash to keep their extra space open.

There are quite a few streeteries in Manayunk and the business owners say they are appreciative of the chance to keep them open, but it will be difficult to make them compliant by the January 9th deadline.

Taqueria Amor has transformed into Señor Grinch Taqueria for the holidays.

Anne Corrigan said it’s one of her favorite spots to eat and she enjoys the outside option. "I guess just the scenery and the fresh air. It’s better than being in a cram-packed place, to just be outside instead."

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Philadelphia City Council enacted a bill to establish where city streeteries could be permanently with more stringent licenses and regulations.

A spokesperson with the city sent a statement saying they’ve received 22 applications, reviewed and returned to applicants with the required changes for approval.

"The streetery license allows restaurants to share the public space with other authorized users of the right-of-way: pedestrians, emergency services, utilities, public transportation, and deliveries and access for neighboring businesses"

Tim Spinner, the owner of Taqueria Amor, said their outdoor set up has become a fabric of their business, but reaching all the guidelines will be difficult by the deadline. "Having the ability to have people come out here has been enormous," Spinner said. "Especially now with inflation that has been almost just as damaging as COVID. Costs are ridiculous to run a restaurant these days."

The parameters include spacing from stoplights, putting protective barriers in place, and removal of propane and overhead heating lamps.

Ben Fileccia, with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, says he’s getting a lot of emails from restaurant operators who are confused on what their next steps should be.

"These operators wanna do the right thing," Fileccia said. "It’s keeping the streets more well-lit, keeping them safer, keeping more people employed. It’s a win-win and we just want to see them continue."

Brenden McGrew, at the Goats Beard, says it’ll cost over $10,000 to meet the requirements on top of the $12,000 it cost to build what they have.

"While we can extend it an additional five feet, we also have to create an egress in the center of it because every 20 feet there has to be a point of egress," McGrew said. "We’re already outside. I don’t quite understand that."

Business owners with questions regarding applying for or operating outdoor dining can contact Streeteries@phila.gov.

Residents can call 311 to report businesses conducting activities related to outdoor dining that appear to be unsafe. More information is available on the city's website, here.