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It’s no secret that Dallas loves patios as much as it loves the margaritas that we sip on them. But new restaurants looking to add outdoor space could face new hurdles if a new Dallas City Council proposal is approved.
CultureMap Dallas reports that a new ordinance proposed by the City of Dallas’ Quality of Life committee would require that business that have “open or outside seating areas” (a.k.a. patios) to make more parking spaces available to their patrons. According to the city, patio space is not currently part of the equation when determining how much parking a new restaurant or bar actually needs.
Not surprisingly, local restaurant owners aren’t happy about the measure. Katy Trail Ice House owner Buddy Cramer told CultureMap that the proposal would require that he build a $2 million parking garage to accommodate guests that visit his patios. Other spots, like The Rustic, Truck Yard, and The Foundry, could be forced to add a significant number of spaces to their current lots.
That said, Dallas Councilman Philip Kingston told CBS that the ordinance would “likely” only impact new businesses that would open after its passage. At present, more than 60 restaurants have signed a petition opposing the measure, including Cane Rosso, The Rustic, Smoke, and So&So’s.
The proposal will be considered at a public meeting set for November 29. Restaurateurs and opponents of the measure have already planned to make a strong showing in hopes of making the City Council think twice about this potentially burdensome new requirement.
