Outdoor dining is back in downtown Bethesda after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich determined it was safe to allow under the current coronavirus statistics. Elrich himself ventured to Bethesda last night, enjoying chicken wings at downtown institution
Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle. The executive went partly to get the wings, but also partly to encourage anxious residents to venture out themselves to support local businesses. Many are still staying home, letting others be the guinea pigs to discover if the virus is receding for the summer or not.
Some restaurants lack patio space, and are being severely squeezed even further financially being unable to seat many outside. In some cases, like Gringos & Mariachis, restaurateurs can solve the problem themselves. Gringos will use the patio of Alatri Bros., which is under the same ownership. Others aren't so lucky, and are turning to Montgomery County, which has proposed closing streets to create more outdoor dining space.
Saphire reopened its popular rear deck.
Tommy Joe's has a rooftop deck, where they are focusing on table seating instead of barstool seats, to facilitate better social distancing. The temperature will be even warmer today.
This is a terrific opportunity to make downtown more attractive. Surely we could make Bethesda Avenue a pedestrian and dining zone from Ourisman to the garage entrance near Arlington Rd, restricting vehicle access for deliveries to certain hours. We might find it an improvement worth maintaining after the pandemic.
ReplyDeletePeople will be packing into restaurants and bars as soon as it is legal. There is huge pent up demand.
ReplyDeleteThat's certainly an unwelcome sight.
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