As we enter spring and with summer slowly advancing towards us, restaurants and cafes are beginning ‘patio season’ a little early this year in hopes of temporarily relieving the difficulties that the past year has brought upon the industry.
Patios are expected to make a big comeback this summer, and will be the real ‘golden ticket’ offering that restaurants and cafes can provide for a few reasons:
- The City of Vancouver has created an expedited patio permit to support business recovery due to COVID-19.
- Vancouver City Councillors are negotiating the idea of setting up pop-up patio spaces this summer in the downtown and surrounding areas
- Outdoor dining is safer than indoor dining due to added space and ventilation, providing cautious diners with peace of mind and the ability to socialize in larger groups of people within their bubble
- Restaurants and cafes with patio options will be able to host more guests overall providing relief to business owners, as limited capacity restrictions still hang heavily.
So if you have not yet considered providing outdoor dining for your business, you can learn more about whether this is an option you can pursue below.
TEPP – Temporary Expedited Patio Program:
This program allows businesses to apply for a free permit to set up a temporary patio. There are five types of temporary expedited patio program permits:
- Curbside patio (road or on-street parking space)
- Large sidewalk patio (with railing)
- Small sidewalk patio (without railing)
- Private property patio
- Partly City of Vancouver property patio (partly on private property and partly on a City sidewalk)
Steps to getting a TEPP temporary patio permit
- Review business requirements: 2021 business license, insurance coverage, provincial covid-19 extension permit and more.
- Review design requirements: The design must meet the design requirement set out by the city council.
- Determine the type of patio and its location.
- Verify insurance, apply to temporarily expand your liquor service area and notify the BIA (Business Improvement Association).
- Take measurements, develop drawings and take photos accounting for all the guidelines set out by city council.
To apply, visit this link, scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘Step 5: Make sure you have the necessary documents to get a permit’ then click on the ‘Apply Now’ blue box.
Annual Patio Permits:
Small sidewalk patio permit without liquor
This permit allows businesses to have small sidewalk patios where liquor cannot be served on the patio.
The permit is valid from May 1 to April 30 of the following year, and may be renewed. The permit conditions outline the amount of structures approved by the City. Your total number of guests, including guests on the patio, cannot be more than your occupancy permit allows.
If you want to put a railing or planters around your sidewalk patio, you must apply for a sidewalk patio with liquor service (“large patio”) permit even if you will not be serving liquor.
To apply, visit this link.
Large sidewalk patio (with railings) permit
This permit lets restaurants have outdoor seating up to the sidewalk, surrounded by a railing, and is required to serve liquor on the patio.
A large sidewalk patio permit allows restaurants and cafés to have outdoor patio seating on the City sidewalk, surrounded by a railing or other boundary. This permit is required to apply for a liquor license extension for the sidewalk patio.
The permit is valid from April 1 to October 31 (summer term) each year, and may be renewed annually. It may also be extended through the winter term, November 1 to March 31. Separate fees apply for each term.
If you don’t want a railing or other boundary around the patio, apply for a small sidewalk patio permit.
To apply, visit this link.
Restaurant or cafe patios on private property
If you have a restaurant or café and want to have an outdoor patio on your property (not the sidewalk), you will need a development permit (for conditional use or for change of use).
To apply, you must prepare the following documents and deliver them to the City of Vancouver Enquiry centre.:
- Development permit application
- Completed checklist
- Site plans
- Floor plans
- Elevation plans
- Landscape plans
If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your general contractor about your needs and discuss which patio permit would work best for you. Our team at Pacific Solutions Contracting can also help you understand the requirements and what will help ensure you’re maximizing your resources and space available.
Bonus: Provincial guidelines for patios and outdoor dining spaces:
Before beginning the application process, it is imperative to read over the BC Provincial guidelines for patios and outdoor dining spaces to ensure that your restaurant or cafe is in compliance with the COVID safety rules.
Here are some of the highlights of the provincial guidelines:
Section 13:
A patron must be seated 2 metres apart from other patrons, unless there is a physical barrier (e.g., a wall or screen) separating those patrons or if the patrons are in the same party or group
Section 14:
At most six patrons can be seated at a table, even if those patrons are in the same party or group
Section 15:
The backs of the seats between tables must be at least 2 metres apart from one another, even if a party or group is sitting at more than one table, unless the tables are separated by a physical barrier (e.g., a wall or screen).
Section 17:
The operator must know the maximum number of patrons who can be on a patio at one time and must write this number down in the COVID-19 Safety Plan. The operator must calculate this using the physical distancing required in sections 13-15.
Still got questions? Head on over to our contact page to reach out by phone or email.
Happy patio-ing!