Assembly Passes Bill Extending Outdoor Dining

The state Assembly last week passed Senate Bill 314 which would help California’s restaurants, bars, and music venues recover economically from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by extending outdoor dining. 

The bill would allow businesses to continue the current privileges under the COVID-19 Temporary Catering Authorization Bill for a full year after the COVID-19 state of emergency is lifted.   

The bill allows: 

• Current licensees with outdoor dining expanded premises under ABC’s emergency relief order a grace period of one year after the emergency order is lifted to apply for a permanent expansion, allowing significantly expanded outdoor restaurant/bar seating with alcohol service, for example, on streets, parking lots, alleys, or sidewalks.
• Makes it dramatically easier for multiple licensed retailers to share commercial space with manufacturers, thus allowing businesses to reduce their rent costs and increase their revenue. This will allow restaurants, bars, and now manufacturers, to save on administrative costs by permitting the use of a shared location within a single licensed building.
• Streamlines and makes more flexible California’s alcohol license process by allowing businesses to use a catering license at one location 36 times, increasing the currently allowable limit from 24. This change will provide restaurants and caterers with the discretion to use their catering license more often, creating a more stable income for their workers and a more consistent revenue source for their business.

“I am proud to support SB 314 that will go a long way to help support restaurants and bars in the 41st Assembly District recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic. From Old Pasadena to Old Town La Verne,  hundreds of businesses were able to stay afloat by serving food and beverages outside. Giving these businesses a full year after the state of emergency is lifted to allow full service dining outside is crucial to helping them go from afloat to stable and thriving,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena).

Pasadena originally instituted outdoor street dining in July 2020 — on Colorado Boulevard between Madison and El Molino avenues, between Fair Oaks and Raymond avenues and Union Street, west of Raymond in Old Pasadena as well as areas of the Playhouse District — and it immediately proved to be popular.

In many cases, outdoor dining saved some restaurants, which otherwise would have failed for lack of business.

In February, the City Council took action to purchase the barricades that allow for on-street dining to be in place. This was done with the intention of keeping on-street dining in place for as long as restaurant owners feel that it is helpful and beneficial to their establishment.