Orillia’s first extended See You in the Patio program took place this weekend, and visitors and restaurant owners alike are calling it a success.
Last year, the program only happened on Friday evenings, with stretches of Mississaga Street closed to vehicular traffic, allowing restaurants to set out tables on the road. The decision was made this year to extend the program to Saturday evenings.
“It’s been a wonderful evening. The weather’s great. The sun is shining. People are thrilled to be out and about. It’s a great energy downtown,” said Darcy MacDonell, co-owner of the Common Stove. “The biggest comment from everybody downtown is they should do this all the time. That’s 100 per cent what people are saying: COVID or no COVID, it’s got to happen again next summer.”
Lisa Particelli, co-owner of Tre Sorelle, agreed
“It’s awesome. It’s been going great,” she said. “People love it. They want it every summer.”
The atmosphere caught Jennifer Bullick’s attention when she was driving by the area.
“It was so busy with people, and I said to my husband when I came home, ‘We need to go downtown, find a place for dinner and just walk up the street,’” she said. “It’s great because we live here and we never come downtown, hardly. We never venture out here, but with all these new restaurants and new shops, it’s more enticing. It makes me want to come out.”
She took the opportunity to also check out some of the shops that stayed open longer.
“It gets people here like us, who wouldn't typically come down here, and now I see a store I didn’t know was here and I want to come back and check it out,” she said.
Phil and Shannon Jackman decided to head downtown and get some dinner Saturday.
“It’s just wonderful to be able to have more space to eat outdoors with more people around,” Shannon said. “It would be great if they could ever figure out some way of doing it in winter or late in the fall with heaters and stuff.”
“It’s so nice to be outside and see people and have some semblance of normal life come back,” Phil added.
See You on the Patio will take place every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. The road closures include Mississaga Street between Front and Peter streets, Peter Street between Mississaga and Colborne streets (Fridays only) and Mississaga Street between West and Albert streets.
