Durham restaurant owners hope 'The Streetery' ordinance can be extended

Some downtown Durham restaurants and businesses called it a "lifeline" when the city relaxed outdoor dining rules last year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted 1:11 p.m. May 6, 2021 — Updated 4:09 a.m. May 7, 2021

Nia Harden

, WRAL reporter

DURHAM, N.C. — Some downtown Durham restaurants and businesses called it a "lifeline" when the city relaxed outdoor dining rules last year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now they're hoping the city council will extend the ordinance into the summer. That vote is scheduled for Thursday and what's at stake is whether or not to push the ordinance past June 30.

If passed, the order would last until October 31 or until the emergency declaration is rescinded, whichever comes first.

"It was freezing and people still showed up," said Sean Umstead, owner of Kingfisher Bar and QueenBurger. "It was super windy and people still came and sat outside. Without that outdoor space, I don't know what kind of position we'd be in to reopen at all. I think a lot of other people certainly had that experience."

On April 30, Gov. Roy Cooper raised the limit for indoor gatherings, bringing the permitted number from 50 to 100 people. However, occupancy limits stayed the same. The state's hope is for more vaccinations during May in order to lift more restrictions.

Durham also launched "The Streetery", which shuts down entire streets for outdoor dining, last spring when COVID-19 restrictions left restaurants having to come up with ideas to stay in business. It was a hit with business owners and customers, who have expressed they want it to stay.

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