KANSAS CITY. MO. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council's Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee on Wednesday advanced three ordinances that would allow restaurants to serve guests on sidewalks, parking lots and streets.
The full council will vote on the three ordinances, which were grouped together, at its meeting on Thursday.
One of the ordinances would allow restaurants to continue to-go cocktails and alcoholic drinks. Another would not enforce parking ratios so that people could sit at a table in a parking area.
The idea is to help restaurants do more business because inside seating is still so limited.
However, whether it works or not may come down to location.
Ted Habiger is the owner and chef at Room 39 on West 39th Street. He said the proposal might not help him at all.
"All the people on a busy street like 39th Street — that will never be closed down, we have a hospital down the street," Habiger said. "And we're in the middle of a block. We can't really expand around the corner, so that puts us at a disadvantage."
But two doors down, management at d'Bronx says this could work out perfectly for their restaurant.
"We are for it. It would be great because then we could utilize all the space outside," general manager Lenning Bell said.
The restaurant is at the corner of 39th and Bell streets and has a lot of sidewalk space. Management tried to put tables outside before but said the permit fees were too expensive. This ordinance wouldn't impose any fees on restaurants.
"It would be something we'd definitely be able to do right away, because we do have tables and chairs," Bell said.
Bell said the timing is perfect because it's almost summertime and people will want to eat outside anyway.
Habiger is concerned the ordinance naturally favors entertainment districts such as Westport and Power and Light, which are already equipped to shut down streets.
"I think it's great that they're trying to think of anything possible to do right now, but they've got to think about the entire restaurant system and not just certain entertainment districts," Habiger said.
Restaurants could still serve alcohol outside. They would get a temporary permit and would have to go through inspections.
