STRATFORD -- The City of Stratford is moving ahead with a plan to turn some popular public spaces into big outdoor dining patios later this month.

With the Stratford Festival suspended and nearly three months of dining restrictions in place by the province, several business owners are feeling the pinch financially.

“The volume of sales has significantly decreased but we’re managing our cost the best that we can to try to compensate for that,” said Jessie Votary, part owner of The Red Rabbit and several other Stratford restaurants.

The Festival City’s mayor says they need to find ways to keep restaurants and retail stores active, the city coming up with an ‘Al Fresco Dining Experience.’

This will turn public places like Market Square, Tom Patterson Island, and Upper Queen Park, into massive open air dining sections, the city allotting over $100,000 towards the project.

“If you come down you’ll find those picnic tables socially and physically distanced apart, and an opportunity for people to come and enjoy lunch downtown, there will be umbrellas for them,” said Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson.

In total, there will be 50 tables set-up with seating capacity for 200 people across four locations.

Turning public spaces into large dining spaces is something that both Kitchener and Waterloo have yet to do. So far, both cities are focusing their efforts on extending patios for restaurants.

“Very simply I think it’s wonderful we have always depended on the festival I think there’s an opportunity for us here to really showcase Stratford as a culinary destination outside of the theatre,” said Votary.

However, there are some concerns the efforts to bring in business could lead to large crowds and a potential risk to health and safety.

“If you’re in Halton Region you are not permitted to have groups of 10, you’re not permitted to have patios open, you’ll look to Stratford as a place to go to for the day,” said Mathieson.

Mathieson says the city will continue to monitor the situation and will heavily emphasize the need for physical distancing and hand hygiene.

When the program launches June 22 none of the outdoor spaces will be licensed to serve alcohol, the city’s mayor says they are working with the province to figure out all the legal ramifications.