Several businesses in the city of Rochester are signing up for Flower City Sidewalks, an outdoor dining, shopping and business program designed to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
Erik Frisch, the city’s manager of special projects, says the program will allow businesses to do things like open up a traditional sidewalk café, or close off a street so it can put tables and chairs out for outdoor dining.
“(It’s designed to) encourage economic recovery, and to get businesses open and working again while also giving citizens and visitors places to eat and drink in a safe and socially distant way,” he said.
Frisch says the program is part of the larger Jumpstarting ROC initiative and requires businesses to work with the city’s Department of Environmental Services to get various permits.
But he says the city has waived fees and has streamlined the process to make it as easy for small business owners to sign up.
“They can get more space, take advantage of the weather, deploy tables and chairs out in the right-of-way, and have more business activity at their establishments,” he said.
More information is at https://www.jumpstartingroc.com/flower-city-sidewalks