Dining decks were a boon for restaurants in the pandemic, like Daily Grill seen here from Google Street View in January 2021.
The Palm Desert City Council met Thursday in a study session to take up the future of the Outdoor Dining Deck Program, which has allowed restaurant owners to construct and operate dining platforms within city streets and public rights-of-way since 2020.
While the current temporary program is set to expire June 30, councilmembers emphasized that the end of this specific initiative does not mean the end of outdoor dining in the city.
Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto noted that staff is researching some alternatives to the existing law that would be more permanent and help assure businesses that their investment in outdoor dining wouldn’t be wasted.
Staff explained that any future updates would need to look at the street comprehensively, including sidewalk placement and landscaping, to create the best dining experience.
Councilmember Jan Harnik spoke in support of the concept, “Al fresco dining is well received. It's welcome. People like it. This is the beauty of the Coachella Valley and Palm Desert,” she said, adding that outdoor dining is not going away, “but we're going to explore it further to make sure we have the best program that we can offer as we go forward.”
The program currently affects four businesses: two with approved dining decks — Kitchen 86 and PizzaVino — and two with applications currently under review — Armandos Restaurant and Little Bar. PizzaVino currently utilizes dining space on the street, while Kitchen 86 operates with a temporary sidewalk. With the exception of Little Bar, all active operators are located along El Paseo.
City officials clarified that these rules relate strictly to the use of public sidewalks and public streets. A city staff member reminded the council that the expiration doesn't remove the ability for businesses to propose new outdoor dining on private property.
The session was not a final vote, but the direction given by council was to proceed with the June 30 expiration date established by a November 2023 council vote. A subcommittee consisting of Mayor Evan Trubee and Pradetto met with staff in February and agreed the program should end as scheduled with no further extensions.
Several restaurants that previously participated in the program have already transitioned. Sweet Basil chose not to reapply after failing to get their landlord’s approval and The Daily Grill also opted out of the dining deck in favor of using their existing patio.
Council also reviewed a staff-designed outreach plan to notify current operators and applicants. The plan calls for letters and emails to be sent out in April reminding businesses of the removal deadline. Staff will also conduct one-on-one meetings in April and May, provide social media messaging, and attend an El Paseo Business District meeting in May to discuss the transition and logistics.