Princeton Restaurant Gets Green Light To Convert Parking Lot To Outdoor Dining Spot

PRINCETON, NJ — The Ivy Inn recently got the green signal from the Planning Board to convert its front parking lot into an outdoor dining area, transforming what began as a pandemic necessity into a community asset.

The Nassau Street restaurant's owners, led by Richard Ryan, filed the application with Princeton's Planning Board to make permanent the outdoor seating arrangement that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What started as a temporary emergency measure in spring 2020 has evolved into a popular community gathering spot.

Originally, Governor Murphy's pandemic reopening guidelines allowed restaurants to expand into parking areas and other outdoor spaces to serve customers safely. The Ivy Inn secured an emergency "expansion of premises permit" that transformed its front parking lot into an al fresco dining area complete with picnic tables, umbrellas, temporary canopies, and a moveable bar.

Under current regulations, a restaurant of the Ivy Inn's size would typically need 42 dedicated parking spaces, Planning Director Justin Lesko said.

“Actually the space needed for 42 spaces would be larger than the whole parcel so and additionally, the variances that were granted in 2010 for front and side yard parking would go away or would no longer be needed,” Lesko said during Thursday’s meeting.

However, Planning Department analysis reveals that the business has successfully operated without its front parking lot since 2020, with customers utilizing street parking, municipal lots, or simply walking to the establishment.

The restaurant's location within Princeton's Neighborhood Business District provides significant advantages for car-free operation.

The Master Plan designates this area as a walkable downtown zone where alternative transportation is encouraged.

Nassau Street offers metered parking directly in front of the business, and eliminating the restaurant's private parking would remove curb cuts, potentially adding two additional public parking spaces on the street.

Lesko also noted that the outdoor dining area has become an informal place for the community to gather, and for nonprofits to host events.

The Ivy Inn opened in 1975, and before that it was the site of a gas station.

“When COVID came, it was awful for everyone. But the one positive that actually came out of it, this outdoor seating that we were forced to do at the time. And now people seem to be enjoying it, and we just like to make it permanent,” Ryan told the Planning Board.

During the public comment section, many residents expressed their support for the change.

Resident Julie Zimmerman said her favorite places in town were the Public Library and the Ivy Inn as they shared “similar attributes.”

“It's a great place to be, and it's, it's about as diverse as Princeton can get,” Zimmerman said.

The board unanimously voted in favor of the application.

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