Seeking help for downtown restaurants, Modesto business leaders want some streets closed
Business leaders are calling on the mayor and city to provide updated guidance to help expand outdoor dining in downtown Modesto, citing crowded downtown streets and the ongoing economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
City staff first issued guidance for restaurants in July through the Open Air Initiative in response to public health orders prohibiting indoor food service to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. Restaurants were able to apply to the Open Air Initiative to increase outdoor seating.
Along J Street and in other areas downtown, local restaurants have expanded their patios and are serving customers outdoors.
But two months later, local business leaders – represented by the Downtown Modesto Partnership, the Modesto Downtown Improvement District, Modesto Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, the Stanislaus Community Foundation and Opportunity Stanislaus – are calling on further support for businesses and restaurants in the city, and possible street closures downtown to accommodate more dining space.
In a letter addressed to Mayor Ted Brandvold, the city council and the city manager, they called for a “swift and expedient resolution to expanding the dining and retail footprint in downtown Modesto during the current state regulations.”
“We believe that there must be a J Street narrowing or closing option to accommodate additional restaurant patrons safely,” the letter read.
Representatives cited other cities – like Chicago and Turlock – which have been able to provide means for economic sustainability, and support for their retail and dining establishments.
In response to the letter, Brandvold said he wants the city to provide as much help as it can for those businesses that are allowed to operate outdoors – including restaurants, health clubs and nail salons – by looking at temporarily closing streets to allow the businesses to expand outdoor operations across the city.
“I don’t just want to concentrate on the downtown,” Brandvold said. “I don’t want some other business to say, ‘Hey, (what about us?)‘ It’s all inclusive.”
Modesto mayor says details being worked out
Brandvold said he is still working out the details for expanding street access to businesses, but added that he sees street closures from Friday through Sunday as one possible option, though the closure would need to be done in a safe way.
That includes keeping cars away from people eating outdoors and making sure the outside areas don’t draw large numbers of people who are not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. He said perhaps railings or similar barriers could be put up in the open areas to keep large groups from gathering.
“I wouldn’t want it to turn out to to be a big party, with no social distancing,” he said. “I have concerns about (it turning into) a big party, and we’d get criticized for that.”
In Turlock, businesses can apply for a temporary permit that allows for outdoor operations, and a July event marked the beginning of temporary weekend street closures to spur on outdoor dining.
Brandvold said the street closures would need to be done in a way that would not harm the restaurants that have found success with curbside pickups.
He acknowledged that city staff has to balance a lot of different elements to close streets in a way that is safe for everyone and helps businesses.
“It’s not as easy as just doing it,” he said.
Brandvold added that as much as he’d like to see all businesses reopen and return to their pre-pandemic operations, he said he understands Modesto needs to follow the state’s public health order regarding the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. Currently, Stanislaus County has been classified in the purple tier for reopening, the most restrictive of the four tiers recently implemented by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In Modesto, this means restaurants are restricted to outdoor dining.
“I’m not saying all businesses are supposed to open, as much as I’d love to see that,” Brandvold said.
He said Thursday that he has met with the city manager to discuss the plans, and that he expects something “official” could be presented to the City Council as early as their next meeting on Sept. 22. However, Brandvold said much of what he proposed could be implemented fairly quickly, without the need for council’s approval.
He said that in working to expand outdoor dining options, especially those that will be sustainable once the weather turns cooler, he expects to see “a lot of innovation” from restaurant owners and the city. What might work for one restaurant or business could deter traffic to another, he said, so everyone will have to find solutions that work for their individual needs.
Is potential move coming too late?
For downtown business owners, the past few months have been difficult. Still, some are wary of the potential side effects of a further reopening, especially if there is the potential of crowds gathering downtown.
Luis Cardenas, who owns Taqueria Cardenas on J Street, said he has seen his business cut in half since the pandemic started, especially on the weekends. The restaurant typically attracts a lunch crowd during the week, but has been noticeably slower on the weekends.
The taqueria has a small patio, but he said closing the streets on the weekend might bring more people downtown in general and help his business.
“Business has been slow and I need more customers,” he said.
Like Cardenas, new Deva Cafe owner Heather Elkins said she welcomes changes that would bring more people to dine downtown. But she worries that it is coming too late to help many struggling businesses, especially as fall and the colder seasons approach.
While she signed a petition asking for the city to allow J Street to be closed, she said she still isn’t sure if she would take part. She said only being closed on the weekends would make setup and breakdown a chore for her J Street restaurant, and maybe not be the draw its advocates are hoping for.
“It just benefits places that are already busy and need space. If they were making it a permanent thing, like downtown Mountain View or Livermore, it would help more people,” she said. “Or if maybe they’d done this back in July or even August. But it’s almost already October and then it’ll get rainy and cold. Come on.”
Fellow restaurant owner Jordi Camps, who this year celebrated his 20th anniversary owning Picasso’s Gourmet Deli & Art at the corner of J and 10th streets, agreed that the impact could be limited. He does not necessarily think adding more tables and chairs on the street would mean more customers.
He also worries that attracting large crowds to downtown Modesto, even for outdoor seating, could be unsafe and potentially worsen the area’s COVID-19 outbreak. His cafe is only open from 10 to 3 p.m. weekdays, and even if they closed the streets on the weekends he would be reluctant to expand his hours.
“For me to be healthy and alive is more important than making a little more money,” he said.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
