Community Corner
End is Near for 2013 Sidewalk Cafe Season in Royal Oak
The 2013 sidewalk cafe season brought something new. For the first time Royal Oak allowed outdoor eating areas to be adjacent to the street.
Cooler weather and the welcoming of autumn mean sidewalk cafe season in Royal Oak is nearing the end.
The sidewalk dining season in Royal Oak runs April 15-Oct. 31 every year, with many restaurants putting out tables along Main Street and Washington Avenue in order to take advantage of summer weather and the foot traffic that comes with it.
New configurations introduced in 2013
This year, despite concerns regarding "optimal pedestrian use and safety" from the Planning Department and Engineering Department, the city opted to allow outdoor seating areas to be adjacent to the street for the first time.
Washington Avenue eateries, Cafe Muse and Lily's Seafood, both expanded their outdoor seating areas by moving the footprints from being adjacent to their buildings' facades to being adjacent to the street.
Cafe Muse was able to nearly double its number of outdoor seats from 14 to 24, while Lily's went from 12 to 30 seats.
What do you think of the new sidewalk cafe configurations? Tell us in the comments.
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