Restaurant Group Seeks Sidewalk Dining

The newly formed Newport Beach Restaurant Improvement District, which was established last year to attract more restaurant business, is pushing for sidewalk dining, alcoholic beverages and live entertainment for small eateries.

Since last summer, the Newport Beach Restaurant Assn., which governs the improvement district, has been working with the city to study whether the restaurateurs’ proposal can work.

“What we’ve been seeking is to have outside seating with a little live music in the small mom-and-pop restaurants in the city’s old historic villages,” said Dan Marcheano, owner of the Arches Restaurant and chairman of the association.

Early this week, the City Council tentatively agreed to allow small restaurants to apply for state licenses to serve beer and wine. City codes currently do not allow liquor to be served at places with a total area of 2,000 square feet or less, including outdoor seating.

The council also is considering allowing dining tables on public sidewalks and music ensembles of no more than three musicians.

A fee of up to $350 could be attached to the sidewalk dining permit. A public hearing is scheduled at the City Council’s March 11 meeting.

While public works planner John H. Douglas agreed that allowing dining on public sidewalks would enhance the vitality of the city’s commercial districts, he concluded in his staff report to the council that there are some areas where sidewalks are too narrow or there is too much pedestrian traffic.