Pasadena’s Dine Out Program Gets Funding Boost

The City Council approved $1.5 million in Congressional earmark initiative funding for the Dine Out Pasadena program.

The item also includes an agreement with the Pasadena Community Foundation for $1.32 million for Dine Out Pasadena program co-administration activities and a $150,000 agreement with the Playhouse Village Association for dining pavilion removal.

In 2020, when restaurants began to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City created a temporary emergency on-street dining initiative and rented the necessary equipment using City funds.

The emergency initiative ended in July 2022. Although the on-street dining program continued, there were no additional City funds available to support it.

In April 2022, the City submitted a funding request to Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) to continue its support of outdoor dining and the small business community.

The request for $1.5 million was approved in June 2023 and received final approval in August 2023.

“Dine Out Pasadena invests in Pasadena’s restaurants, improves the local business environment, and enhances quality of life in the City’s commercial areas,” according to a City staff report.

Through vibrant outdoor dining experiences, Dine Out Pasadena cultivates connectivity, celebration, and economic vitality. The Economic Development Division staff, in partnership with the Pasadena Community Foundation, proposes launching a pilot round of the program in late Spring 2024. Eligible restaurants can apply for an amount up to $45,000 to install new outdoor dining structures or upgrade existing ones.

In order to meet eligibility requirements:

The business must have an active Pasadena business license and be located within Pasadena City boundaries.
Eligible businesses must also operate in a location approved for on-street dining, parklets, parking lots and/or private property dining.
The business must be independently owned, street level, storefront businesses (not part of a national chain or franchise). The business must also be legally allowed to serve food in a sit-down format (not drive-through establishments).
Be legally operating under all local, state, and federal laws and current on any and all taxes/fees/licenses owed to the City of Pasadena; do not have any pending lawsuits; do not have any open code violations.
Secure written approval from the respective property owners.
Meet all City insurance requirements.
Churches, schools, colleges, universities, government buildings and nonprofit offices are not eligible.

In the pilot round of the program, eligible businesses can apply for funds to complete the following types of projects:

New outdoor dining structures. Including costs for demolition, design, manufacturing, and installation.
Upgrades and retrofits to existing outdoor dining structures. Including costs for design, manufacturing, and installation.

Ineligible expenses:

Reimbursement for previously installed on street dining, demolition, maintenance, or permit fees.
Furniture, fixtures, or equipment, e.g., freestanding tables, chairs, heaters. Structures or improvements that do not comply with design and materials standards building code requirements.

A complete list of eligible and ineligible expenses and thorough program guidelines will be made available upon program launch.

Following the pilot round, the program will be made available on a rolling basis to eligible businesses, utilizing remaining grant funds to provide additional outdoor dining structures as well as small-scale facade improvements (up to $20,000). To ensure all eligible businesses have access to program information and application support, staff will conduct outreach during the open application period.