SALISBURY, Md.- Outdoor dining has been a lifeline for restaurants during the pandemic. Now, some new changes are coming to Salisbury.
The Salisbury City Council plans to approve new city codes on Monday for outdoor dining on sidewalks. These rules aim to increase business for restaurants while still keeping pedestrian walkways clear.
Mogan's Oyster House has expanded onto the sidewalk already, and owner Michael Daly has already seen the positive effects.
He said, "We've been very fortunate, as a matter of fact. We were lucky enough that our patio was already planned before everything happened, so we were able to settle into that really really quickly. As far as just the impact of downtown, I think we're going to see more and more of the restaurants doing permanent things."
The city also hopes that standardized sidewalk seating will add to the atmosphere of Downtown Salisbury, and restaurants are happy with the move.
"One of the most important things is trying to present that unified front of saying yeah, we are open. It's okay, you're gonna have fun and we're gonna take care of you," Daly said.
Any restaurant will be able to apply for sidewalk seating with the Department of Infrastructure and Development, and approved seating will be able to stick around far into the future.