SEATTLE — Outdoor dining is here to stay in Seattle.
The Seattle Department of Transportation announced that it will continue to issue permits for designated ‘streateries’; Seattle’s outdoor dining structures.
However, SDOT also announced that business owners must now pay a yearly fee for them.
Streateries were initially approved in Seattle as a pandemic measure but quickly grew in popularity.
“Before we would’ve said ‘who wants to eat outside in Seattle?” said Joel Miller with SDOT. “And then we’ve seen that people are willing to.”
During the pandemic, the streatery permits were free.
But this spring SDOT will implement an issuance fee of $1220. Restaurants will also have to renew the permit each year for $588.
Miller says the fee helps offset the costs for SDOT, whose employees have to inspect every structure.
The price change comes as many restaurants are already struggling financially; due, in part, to the pandemic and inflation.
“The cost of everything has been going up but you can only raise your prices so much,” said Seattle restaurant owner Chris Cvetkovich. “Nobody’s gonna pay for a 40-dollar hamburger at this point.”
However, he says the streatery permit is an easy solution to offset rising costs, as it allows restaurants to serve more customers.
“Being able to add a few more tables to your restaurant is going to be the difference between keeping your profit margin a little bit more sustainable,” said Cvetkovich.
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