Even COVID-19 can’t stop patio season.
As a way to combat virus transmission, the City of Yellowknife is encouraging restaurants to open outdoor spaces to meet physical distancing rules.
The city said in a press release, restaurant owners in designated areas downtown can receive up $10,000 for the installation of a sidewalk patio.
“During the warmer months, sidewalk patios allow residents to get outside while enjoying the amazing restaurants, coffee shops and establishments that the City of Yellowknife has to offer,” said Mayor Rebecca Alty, in a news release. “The outdoor space that this program provides will also facilitate physical distancing.”
Jawah Scott, co-owner of the Birchwood Coffee Ko, said it is good the city is offering aid to businesses struggling in the midst of the pandemic.
“Any encouragement for businesses to be able to do more is promising,” she said.
Unfortunately, the Birchwood Coffee Ko will not be taking advantage of the program as it is are too short staffed to run a patio.
“To keep up with the sterilization of running outside when there’s only a few of us to do that,” she said. “It’s a little bit more than we can handle unfortunately.”
