SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The R Street corridor in Midtown Sacramento has been the liveliest that it has been in months.
After a few days of closing the block between 14th and 15th to vehicle traffic to expand its restaurant patios out into the sidewalk, restaurant owners and customers alike are soaking in the new set up.
"Everyone loves being outside and just kind of being able to get back to normal a little bit but also be safe," said Gina Tallford of Cyclebar, a midtown business owner who was out dining to support fellow merchants.
Each restaurant bought plastic white fencing for their new outdoor patios, and large white tents provided by the R Street Partnership lined the street. Some were adorned with lights and others with water misters.
"It's not too hot, not too cold and we're all able to spend more time outside. In a way, I think it's kind of more fun- there's a lot more energy going on," said Rene Weilar, a customer.
The R Street partnership debuted the layout on Thursday. Jen Lewis, manager at Cafe Bernando, said it has been a blessing but it's still a work in progress.
"We're excited to have this here and have this, you know, silver lining amidst this dark COVID cloud," she said.
Lewis said the outdoor set up hasn't provided a boost in sales, but she thinks it's better than nothing. The outdoor patio can seat 70, which is about a third of the restaurant's normal capacity. She said it's all about adapting with the changing times, and she's thrilled to have customers back.
"You either change with it or you become irrelevant, and we don't want to become irrelevant," Lewis said.
Burgers and Brew owner, Derar Zawaydeh, said the new set up was a group effort between all his neighbors and the R Street Partnership, and it was an expensive one too.
Zawadeh hopes the effort will be worth the investment to boost sales. Survival is still questionable for his restaurant, but he said he has to try.
"You have to get up every morning and keep striving for better otherwise you might as well just shut down and go home," Zawaydeh said, referring to the efforts of small business owners.
The new outdoor set up is expected to be up through September. The business owners on R Street said they hope it entices customers to get out and support their local restaurants.
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