HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL NR 2023-02-28 Town Council Recommends Continuing Sidewalk Dining Program
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
February 28, 2023
Media Contact:
Leah Kosin, Assistant Public Information Officer
pio@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2781
Town Council Recommends Continuing Sidewalk Dining
Program
The program would take place every Friday beginning this spring.
Leesburg, VA (February 28, 2023) – During Monday night’s
work session, the Leesburg Town Council discussed the future
of the Extended Sidewalk Dining Program.
First launched in July 2020, the goal of the program was to
expand restaurant capacity when indoor dining was restricted
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the program has
continued each spring.
Kate Trask, deputy director of the Town’s Parks and
Recreation Department, said only three businesses have
taken advantage of sidewalk dining, which occurs along King Street, between Market and
Loudoun streets.
Recent observations show that downtown participation fluctuates based on a number of
factors such as staff availability and the weather. Friday nights have the highest attendance, she
said, specifically during Leesburg First Friday.
Trask reiterated the original purpose of the program but recognized the public’s interest in the
event. Three options were presented to council when deciding the programs future – to hold
the program on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month, to hold it every Friday, or stick to the most
recent schedule of Friday and Saturday evenings.
“When the streets are closed it’s a much more vibrant scene,” said Councilman Zach Cummings.
“Quite frankly, I look at this program like I look at our parks. Not everything is about a revenue-
to-revenue, an expense to revenue analysis. It’s about what we can do to create a community
feeling.”
Cummings said continuing the program creates a “much friendlier environment” in the
downtown while being able to give back to the businesses. He also referenced the Main Street
Program and how sidewalk dining could make it more effective.
Department of Economic Development Director Russell Seymour agreed that he’d like to
incorporate the two. The business community has benefited from the street closure, he said,
including those outside of the restaurant business. One, in particular, has confirmed a 50
percent increase in merchandise sales.
Mayor Kelly Burk said investing in the downtown is a good thing to do. Just because a few of
the restaurants are participating does not mean the program is failing.
“The fact that we’re beginning this whole process of Mainstreet and we recognize that the
downtown is an important aspect and a special place, to take it all away, I could not support
that at all,” she said.
Vice Mayor Neil Steinberg suggested holding the program every Friday in order to offer
consistency for those visiting the downtown. He said it would also allow another season to
analyze the effectiveness of the program without an extraordinary expenditure of funding.
Final Council direction was to pursue holding the program every Friday evening. Staff will move
forward with planning.
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