Rehoboth Beach to end outdoor public dining by November 1st.

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. –  Restaurants in Rehoboth beach have until November first to remove their outdoor dining sections that go out onto the sidewalks of Rehoboth, a pandemic staple that the town says was a success for businesses and will be returning next season with a more defined permitting process.

“The businesses love it, the customers love it, it was a hit from the get-go and really added to the success of the restaurants recovering from covid,’ said Rehoboth Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol Everhart.

Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills says, with the winter approaching, having the areas continue on the sidewalk would prove unsafe for pedestrians.

“By November first those outdoor dining areas have to be removed or pushed against the facade so for the winter pedestrians can walk safely and pass that area,” Mills said.

He says outdoor dining in spaces that are part of the restaurants themselves will be unaffected, and that only areas that fell on public sidewalks are affected by the change in the city ordinance.

“For two years we had a policy that authorized restaurants to set up dining tables on public spaces and sidewalks all the way up to the full width of the sidewalks,” he said.

He tells us for those two years the town had the option available for restaurants to get permits, but now the policy will be adopted as a permanent measure, with more clear guidelines informed by an economic impact study that the town commissioners will report before the end of the year.

“This is a fresh clean start for outdoor dining,” Mills said.

A change in the policy is good news for Rehoboth Avenue restaurants like Dos Locos, who were able to get the permit to turn their outdoor sidewalks and patios into outdoor dining in the summer of 2020 but were unable to receive those permits in the summers since.

Their owner Mit Patel hopes the new guideline will see his restaurant fair better.

“Early in the pandemic, we had it it was very helpful for all businesses its like more convenient for customers to eat, [The city of Rehoboth Beach] didn’t approve it for us but hopefully maybe I can get patio next year and for the summer,” Patel said.

No date has yet been announced for the summer 2023 season on when those outdoor dining areas are set to return.