Winston-Salem Will Test In-Street Dining For Downtown Restaurants

The city of Winston-Salem has scheduled a trial run for in-street dining on downtown streets. 

The city has teamed up with the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership to test a proposal that would close portions of downtown streets on weekend nights. This would allow restaurants to set up tables in the street and serve more patrons within the state's Phase 2 restrictions.

Ken Millett is the city's director of business inclusion and advancement. Millett says in a news release that the July 25th trial run will allow officials to look at the benefits to restaurants, as well as how it would impact other businesses, residents, and people traveling through downtown.

The Downtown Partnership will be responsible for providing private staffing to monitor social distancing and arranging for off-duty police officers to ensure safety. 

If the test is deemed successful, the city would implement street closures on additional weekends and consider closing more downtown blocks on a case-by-case basis.  

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