Outdoor dining to stay in Seattle, but there’s a cost for business owners. (February, 14th, 2023)

The Seattle Department of Transportation announced that it will continue to issue permits for designated ‘strategies’; Seattle’s outdoor dining structures. However, SDOT also announced that business owners must now pay a yearly fee for them.

 

Strategies were initially approved in Seattle as a pandemic measure but quickly grew in popularity due to their popularity with customers. The fee helps offset the costs for SDOT, whose employees have to inspect every structure. The price change comes as many restaurants are already struggling financially; due, in part, to the pandemic and inflation meant that many restaurants have had to raise their prices significantly in order to keep their profit margins sustainable.

 

Despite the fee, restaurants are viewing this permit as an easy solution to offset their financial difficulties, as it allows them to serve more customers.