While many in Rehoboth Beach would rather forget the summer of 2020, there is one thing sticking around from last year: outdoor dining. The city says more than 40 restaurants set tables outside this year. Alfresco dining is a delight for some, but it comes at the cost of valuable parking spots.

Delaware restaurants can now welcome 10 people at a table outdoor dining. Some resort town restaurants are happy for the increase, but others say lifting indoor restrictions is what is really needed. Cooter Brown's in Rehoboth has a huge patio for outdoor dining, and they say having 10 people per table is a huge win.

Outdoor dining was a huge success in Rehoboth Beach last year, and much of that was due to pedestrian barriers. The barriers block off parking spaces, allowing people to walk around outdoor diners. Now, those barriers are back for the 2021 season. Workers were out before sunrise Wednesday morning, rolling the red barriers out onto the Rehoboth streets.

This Monday, March 1st is the last day Rehoboth restaurants can apply for an outdoor seating permit, a program the city deemed a huge success last year. Some restaurants are wondering why the deadline is so soon, and while the program helps out, some owners wish they did not have to apply all over again. For Kaisy's Delights owner Thierry Langer, outside dining is a no-brainer.

Barriers for outdoor dining in parking lots are coming back to Rehoboth Beach for the spring and summer season, but this time around, restaurants will have to pay for them. A local nonprofit group is raising money to help with the costs, which could get expensive. The City of Rehoboth says leasing the barriers will cost $25 per barrier, per month.The barriers will be allowed beginning April 1st.