Chippewa Closed To Put Tables in Street For Dining Through Labor Day

There are so many rules when it comes to restaurants and bars during the COVID pandemic.

If you've gone to a bar or a restaurant the past few weeks, they could be facing challenges with the guidelines that many have to adhere to. Well, to help with that the City of Buffalo is helping out. Starting today, Friday July 24, Chippewa Street will be CLOSED from Delaware Avenue to Franklin Street to expand patio dining into the street. The closure will go all the way through Labor Day this year.

It's part of the City of Buffalo's Reopen Buffalo small business social distancing initiative. The task was to bring more business downtown during the pandemic. They surveyed residents and restaurants and everyone was on board. There are a handful of restaurants that will be participating in the new experience. According to WKBW:

-Buffalo Tap House
-Local Kitchen & Beer Bar
-Rec Room
-Soho

• How will this work? How will you know which table belongs to which restaurant? What will it look like? We have you covered.
• Each restaurant needs to have a fence around their area.
• Each night the patios will have to be closed by 11 pm.
• Some will have security guards to ensure that the focus will be on dining and not kids downtown partying.

You still will not be able to drive down the street even though the patios will be open from about 5 to 11. Remember, this will go all the way through Labor Day.

Places have been trying to keep up with the regulations, including making dollar menus because Governor Cuomo said you have to order food if you're going to order drinks, so some places in WNY have been making 'mini menus'.