MB Eateries Ask City Council To Let Diners Eat In The Street

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Hit by revenue losses due to the coronavirus and having to shutter or offer reduced services, businesses in Manhattan Beach are asking City Council to allow them to expand into public parking spaces to increase their revenue potential. Council will discuss the issue at its meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday, June 9). The meeting begins at 6 p.m.

Businesses granted the use of streetside public parking spots would be required to pay to do so. City Council has been discussing the matter for several weeks and business owners are anxious to build curbside platforms to allow them to serve more people. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, restaurants and other businesses have lost space inside their businesses. Several restaurants want to add tables for diners on streetside platforms.

Ercole's, Tacolicious, Rock 'N Fish, Brewco, The Strand House, Love & Salt, The Arthur J, MB Post, Simmzy's, Fishing With Dynamite, Mangiamo's and Manhattan Pizzeria have submitted applications to replace parking spaces near their businesses with dining platforms, as of Monday, June 8, said Carrie Tai, director of community development for Manhattan Beach. The parking spaces being considered are the metered spots that are parallel or diagonal and streetside.

The city already has an application and permit process in place for dining on sidewalks. Businesses that have applied for sidewalk dining under those parameters include Manhattan Beach Creamery, Slay Italian, Slay Steak + Fish, Fishbar and Sharkeez. Fishbar and Slay Italian have already received permission, said Tai.

City Council is expected to decide if the city will allow the removal of public parking spaces to accommodate dining Tuesday night. Applications for using parking spaces for business needs can be submitted to the city no later than June 22. If council approves transferring public parking spots to commercial use, any permits issued under those guidelines would only be good until September 28.

The city is soliciting input and has a survey that can be completed online.