Two women dine outdoors in downtown Burbank, a practice that was reinstated recently after nearly two months of a statewide ban. City workers placed cement barricades around several parking spots on San Fernando Boulevard to allow space for the tables.
Outdoor dining is now reopened in the city of Burbank, with municipal workers placing cement K-rail barricades this week to create nine in-street dining parklets.
Various parking stalls on San Fernando Boulevard and Palm Avenue were bound with the barricades on Tuesday. Until then restaurants in downtown Burbank could use outdoor dining in private parking lots and patios and on sidewalks with a permit. Two of the nine in-street dining parklets are communal dining areas that are open to the public for pickup orders or coffee-to-go. There is also a communal dining area on the AMC Walkway. The designated communal dining areas will be managed and maintained by the Downtown Burbank Business Improvement District.
The parklets are intended to serve as a hybrid solution to the previous complete closure of San Fernando Boulevard back in July 2020. Adding in-street dining parklets allow for expanded outdoor dining while maintaining parking and curb-side pickup spaces, according to the city. San Fernando Boulevard remains open to traffic and dedicated 15-minute parking is also available for curb-side and take-out orders.
The in-street dining parklets also serve as a pilot program for several elements of the approved “Citywide Complete Streets” plan adopted by the City Council on June 16. The plan provides guidance for creating wider sidewalks and more pedestrian friendly amenities in downtown Burbank.
“Creating safe outdoor dining opportunities in downtown Burbank is a welcome opportunity for both our businesses and the community,” said Mayor Bob Frutos. “It is the hope of the city that this pilot program can be a trial for the recommendations of the Citywide Complete Streets Program. In the future, with the support of the PBID, the city hopes to create more permanent improvements to downtown.”
The new Los Angeles County health order, issued on Jan. 29, allows outdoor dining to resume at 50% maximum capacity in addition to other requirements. All Burbank restaurants were immediately allowed to resume outdoor dining in private parking lots and patios and on city sidewalks with a permit.
For a complete list of restaurants in downtown Burbank, visit dtnbur.com/dine.
