Guelph’s plan for permanent seasonal patio program drawing mixed reactions from business owners

With summer in full swing, patio season is at its prime in the Royal City, and some small business owners are applauding a step toward making the downtown patio scene a permanent fixture.

On Wednesday, the City of Guelph Committee of the Whole approved a permanent seasonal patio program.

Since 2020, the City of Guelph has allowed businesses to have patios in the summer. It started as a way to help owners recover from the pandemic and was approved to continue until 2023. It has proven to be a popular attraction for the city’s main core.

“We have enough data and feedback that says this is overwhelmingly supported, and it’s something we know that it’s not only good for business and good for our own people within the City of Guelph, but there’s a tourism attraction to it as well,” Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said.

On Wednesday, the committee approved a permanent seasonal patio program starting in 2024. Applications can be made as early as February. Tables will go up in the first weekend of May and must be cleared from city streets by the last weekend in September.

‘IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE', SAY DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES

“When the patios aren’t here on a Sunday, the streets are dead, but with the patios, since they’ve been here, people are walking back and forth and you see them carrying bags, so definitely it’s helping,” Don Perron, a customer of two decades at Wimpy’s Diner in Downtown Guelph said.

Businesses big and small are taking advantage of people passing through the downtown core looking to enjoy the day while having a bite to eat.

“It makes a big difference. Right now, you know, a lot of tourists are coming [from] like Cambridge, I don’t think they have many patios there and we have it here,” Wimpy’s Diner owner Maden Lal said.

Richard Overland, co-owner of NV Kitchen + Bar and Treasurer of Downtown Guelph BIA, seen outside of a patio in the royal city’s downtown core. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News)

Other business owners said since the program started it's had a major positive impact.

“The patios have increased the traffic flow so dramatically that it’s actually worth it for me in December, months after the patios close, there’s still enough people coming downtown to make it worthwhile to be open during the day,” Richard Overland, the owner of NV Kitchen and Bar said.

“It’s been super impactful. It’s changed the downtown scene. It’s brought more people, more foot traffic downtown,” Dario Direnzo, the co-owner of Frank & Steins said.

While the motion was approved by the committee of the whole, it still needs to go before Guelph city council later this month for final approval.

The program as proposed is anticipated to cost $175,000 annually.

HIGHER COST A CONCERNS

Currently, businesses pay $3 per square meter for on-street patios. For the permanent program, staff recommend increasing this fee to $10 per square meter per month. It means a patio occupying 60 square metres would cost $3,660 in the first year.

Some business owners are not on board with the higher cost, including Lal back at Wimpy’s Diner.

“That’s way too much that limit it’s not reasonable for me,” Lal said. “If it increases that much for a small business, I don’t think so. It won’t be affordable.”

For others, the higher costs of the patios may mean shelling out money on top of an already tight budget.

“For fast food like me, my rent is pretty high. I pay approximately $6,500 in rent without these offices around me, I’m already losing at least $2,000 in sales every day, so I’m barely breaking even, so if I get this patio here and I have to pay more? No,” said Crazy Carrot Owner Anuarg Sood.

When the patio program returns to council later this month for ratification, staff will present information regarding a possibly different monthly fee and expanding to a potential three-month patio season.

Meanwhile, the Guelph Business Improvement Area (BIA) says the downtown patio scene has a positive impact

“So, it doesn’t just benefit the restaurants, yes the restaurants see a big benefit absolutely, but it also increases the foot traffic when you get people out of their cars and start walking down the street they start window shopping,” Richard Overland, Guelph BIA treasurer said.