Westport restaurants are now able to utilize outdoor dining year-round. 

Originally, Westport businesses were given the ability to offer outdoor dining as a tool to survive in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Planning and Zoning Commission agreed that it adds a charming aspect to Westport as well as serving as an essential business strategy.

Most notably, Rizzuto’s restaurant implemented outdoor ‘igloos’ to attract hesitant residents during the pandemic. 

“It’s been great to offer that safety and service and we look forward to doing it, no longer for safety, but for plain old fun,” Rizzuto’s owner William Rizzuto said.

This was in addition to new provisions implemented last summer allowing pop-up seating to open up on the private sidewalks of Church Lane.

This decision was made in part due to a state mandate that is to be in effect April 1,  enacting permanent outdoor dining. However, Westport has extended this by allowing restaurants to allot 75% of their area to be outside instead of the previous 25%.

“I think the pandemic has made it so that people enjoy eating outdoors more than ever before,” Ben Larsson ’23 said. “I think this decision is a good step forward.”