GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Social zones, the outdoor dining areas set up outside of restaurants in parking or traffic lanes, were a creation in Grand Rapids to help restaurants during pandemic restrictions.
Now, many are being removed in the city.
"The ones that are being removed are almost entirely at the request of the nearby businesses," said Lou Canfield, chief of staff to the city manager, "that they're just not intending to make as much use of them over the winter. Then, there are a few other locations where it's important that travel lanes be available for winter snow removal and safety of navigating the roads."
Not all barriers will be removed across the city, some spaces still opting for their use during the winter.
"Them leaving us right now hasn’t been the worst thing for us because we haven't really been seating them a lot," said Shawn Blonk, Vice President of Operations for Project Barfly.
At Grand Rapids Brewing Company, Blonk said they have not been using the area for serving tables in a while. Instead, it was mainly used as a place for people to eat and drink options to-go.
"The other reason we couldn’t really serve out there," said Blonk, "we didn’t have the staff to serve it. So, hopefully we’ll be in a better space next year."
He said he would like to see them back next summer.
Here is a look at the social zone barricades being removed:
- Bridge Street between Summer and Winter: Butcher’s Union and others moved out of travel lanes and into the on-street parking area.
- Ionia – Fulton to Weston: HopCat and Grand Rapids Brewing.
- Fulton at Lagrave: Mexo.
- Sheldon between Library and Fulton: Apartment Lounge.
- Henry at Wealthy: Donkey Taqueria.
- Grandville at Cherry: Mayan Buzz, Tin Can.
- Bridge at Seward: One Bourbon.
- Eastern at Michigan: 7 Monks Taproom.
- Michigan at Eastern: 7 Monks Taproom and others reduced in size.
- Ionia from Oakes to Weston: Luna, moving out of travel lanes into parking area only.
- Ottawa at Oakes: Stan’s Tacos.
- West Fulton: Putt Putt’s.
- Wealthy at Ethel: Local Epicurean.
- Commerce Oakes to Weston: Stella’s.
- Quarry at Leonard: Long Road Distillery, Mitten Brewing Company.
Meanwhile, the City Commission also approved an amendment to the social district, which is the area where visitors can bring alcoholic beverages around town. This carves out four frequent event locations. However, Canfield said visitors will not see much of a difference.
"State liquor control regulations prevent the co-mingling of people who are carrying a drink," said Canfield, "that they purchased from a social district business with people who purchased a drink at a special event under a different type of approval."
Those areas include Rosa Parks Circle, Calder Plaza, Ah-Nab-Awen Park and DeVos Place area.
Blonk said Grand Rapids Brewing Company is also leaning into the social district more this winter, opening an outdoor bar to serve warm drinks and food on the side of Fulton Street, something he hopes will be beneficial during events downtown.
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