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What does outdoor dining look like in RI right now?


The owners at PB&J’s on West Shore Road in Warwick said they are doing everything they can to accommodate guests and stay open as Rhode Island begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. (WJAR)
The owners at PB&J’s on West Shore Road in Warwick said they are doing everything they can to accommodate guests and stay open as Rhode Island begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. (WJAR)
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Outdoor dining is underway in the Ocean State, with restaurants using disposable menus, plastic utensils, and staffers wearing masks.

The owners at PB&J’s on West Shore Road in Warwick said they are doing everything they can to accommodate guests and stay open as Rhode Island begins its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everything has just been crazy because of this virus, said Patti Bacon, who owns and operates the restaurant with her siblings, Billy Landry and Jackie Paquin.

“But we’ve had quite a few people come for outside dining and we’re keeping ourselves afloat because of our Fridays,” Bacon said.

While they typically serve breakfast and lunch daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., they recently started to serve dinner until 8 p.m. on Fridays. They will also be open all Memorial Day weekend, serving on their new outdoor patio, as well as take-out orders.

They offer baked fish, lobster rolls, fish and chips, chowder and clam cakes, and more.

“On Saturday, my brother is going to do baked stuff lobster,” Bacon said. “I’m trying to talk him into doing some barbecue chicken. We’re going to get a grill, make some potato salad and make it a normal Memorial Day weekend. That’s our plan.”

There’s also a new outdoor bar, with summertime cocktails like watermelon sangria.

They currently have four picnic tables set up in the parking lot, plus eight additional tables.

“We’re going to take the tables in the dining room and bring them out to the parking lot,” she said. “Even when the governor decides that she’s going to open up indoor seating, it’s not going to sustain a restaurant because we’d be doing half capacity. At least with outdoor dining, it’s going to make us a full restaurant -- unless it rains.”

Gov. Gina Raimondo on Friday announced that phase two will begin on June 1. Indoor dining will be capped at 50 percent capacity.

But the governor said the limit on gathering sizes, which currently five people, will be raised to 15 with phase two.

Still, Raimondo urged Rhode Islanders to keep following the rules and restrictions of phase one through next week.

“That means phase 1 rules will be in place until phase two,” she said. “I want to remind you that for this weekend, and until June 1, social groups are limited at fiveLet’s hunker down for one more week.”

To help restaurants remain open, the state’s Department of Transportation is accepting applications from restaurants to allow them to temporarily use sidewalks on state roads outside their businesses for dining space.

Rep. Teresa Tanzi and Rep. Kathleen Fogarty recently made the request for specific roads in their districts after meeting with several small business owners. They asked the DOT to adopt a statewide policy on all low-speed, two-lane roads.

“Restaurants have been hurting for the past couple of months and we’re just trying to think outside the box and do different things,” Fogarty, who represents South Kingstown, told NBC 10 News during a brief phone interview Friday morning.

Tanzi shared similar sentiments. She said the goal is to expand everyone’s square footage and serve more people, with a hope to increase revenue, as well as revitalize the area.

“It gives that visual to people who are driving by, particularly Main Street and Kingstown Road. This time of year, you would avoid those streets because they’re usually so popular and crowded,” Tanzi, who represents Narragansett and South Kingstown, said during a separate phone interview. “But now, it’s like a ghost town and we wanted that visual of having some vibrancy to them.”

Tanzi added that some businesses have been using their parking lanes as waiting lanes for take-out, acknowledging that dining outdoors might not be for everyone.

“I think people should do what they are comfortable doing,” Tanzi said. “If you are feeling that your best comfort zone is taking something to go, by all means do what you can to support restaurants and leave a really big tip -- a ridiculously big tip.”

For Bacon and her family, tips are greatly appreciated.

She added that in addition to coronavirus concerns, their mother recently died after a battle with breast cancer.

But Bacon said there is a silver lining.

“She was in a nursing home and luckily, we were able to spend time with her,” Bacon said. “Through her sickness, my brother, sister and I have been stronger together. We’ve wanted a restaurant since we were kids and we’ve been doing this since September. We’re having a great time, even with all the craziness from this virus. I know we will come out ofthis.”

Applications for restaurants to use sidewalks are available on DOT’s website at dot.ri.gov. A press release notes that “approved applicants must also get local approval and comply with certain conditions, which include maintaining pedestrian rights of way that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The approval will expire when the new limits on indoor restaurant dining put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are lifted.”

Tanzi said the original request also sought to allow the use of on-street parking spaces for retail establishments, but DOT opposed it, citing a lack of an ability to control crowds.

“With retail, they felt there would be 20 people coming up and congregating and there’s no way to limit it,” she said. “I get it, I just hope we can find creative ways to support these businesses.”

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