The City of Vancouver has approved 47 temporary patios since it put in place an expedited process for patio approvals on June 1.
Restaurant owners who were forced to close dining rooms between mid-March and mid-May were asking the city for a simpler and speedier process to approve patios, and they were rewarded when council voted for the program in late May. The city is also waiving application and permit fees.
The rise of these patios is partly why B.C.'s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, on June 10 issued an order that allows restaurants to operate at more than 50% capacity.
"Instead of a blanket 50%, what we now are requiring is that every restaurant, pub or bar has to identify a number for their capacity that includes the patios," she said. "This was one of the complicating things. As you're expanding your patio, how do we know what number to use?"
Data that the city released June 12 showed 41 patios approved on public property and another six patios approved on private property. Staff are reviewing 13 patio applications on public property and 10 that are on private property. It has determined that applications for 31 patios on public property are outside the scope of the program and are not under active review.
That means that there have been 101 applications for new or expanded temporary patios since the city put in place a new expedited process.
On June 11, council approved a series of steps to expand the temporary expedited patio program to now include patios on private properties.
Unlike patios on public property, which can be approved by the city within two business days, patios on private property require a more comprehensive application and building review. City staff expect permits for private property to be available by the end of the month with approval granted within five business days for patios that do not require construction.
The new temporary-patio program separately, for the first time, enables craft breweries, wineries and distilleries to apply for a patio licence but so far those businesses may only apply for a patio on public space – something that has so far frustrated entrepreneurs such as Container Brewing principal Terry Brown. He told Business in Vancouver last month that he would like to convert three or four parking spots on his property at 1216 Franklin Street, in an industrial area in East Vancouver, into a patio large enough to accommodate up to 20 people.
The city, pending council approval, plans to have a public hearing on June 30 that would seek feedback on whether to allow breweries, wineries and distillers to have temporary patios on private property. If the proposed bylaw is passed, it will enable operators to apply for approval for a temporary patio permit on private property that would be valid until October 31.
Here are the patio locations where applications have so far been approved:
| Alibi Room | #100-157 Alexander St. |
| Argo Cafe | 1836 Ontario St. |
| Beaucoup Bakery and Cafe | 2150 Fir St. |
| Bomber Brewery | 1488 Adanac St. |
| Breaking Bean Kafe | 551 Cardero St. |
| Coho Coffee | 1370 East Georgia St. |
| Colony Bar | 3255 West Broadway |
| Craft | 85 West 1st Ave. |
| Devil's Elbow Alehouse | 562 Beatty St. |
| Do Chay Saigon Vegetarian Restaurant | 1392 Kingway |
| Donnellan's Irish Pub | 1082 Granville St. |
| Eight 1/2 restaurant lounge | 151 East 8th Ave. |
| El Camino's (x2) | 3250 Main St. |
| Electric Bicycle Brewing | 20 East 4th Ave. |
| Fable | 1944 West 4th Ave. |
| Faculty Brewing Co. | 1830 Ontario St. |
| Fiore Famiglia | 2603 West 16th Ave. |
| Grub | 4328 Main St. |
| Junction Public House | 1138 Davie St. |
| Laduree | 1141 Robson St. |
| Lucky Taco | 1685 Yew St. |
| Main Street Brewing Company | 261 East 7th Ave. |
| Nuba Mount Pleasant (Cafe Nuba) | 146 East 3rd Ave. |
| OEB Breakfast Co | 1137 Marinaside Cr. |
| Off the Rail Brewing | 1351 Adanac St. |
| Old Bird | 3950 Main St. |
| Pink Elephant Thai Restaurant | 1152 Alberni St. |
| Pizzeria Bufala | 5395 West Blvd |
| Provence Marinaside | 1177 Marinaside Cr. |
| Pumpjack | 1167 Davie St. |
| Published Restaurant | 3593 Main St. |
| R&B Brewing/Ale and Pizza | 54 East 4th Ave. |
| Ragazzi Pizza | 2996 East 22nd Ave. |
| Red Truck Stop | 6295 East 1st Ave. |
| Rogue | 601 West Cordova St. |
| Say Mercy | 4298 Fraser St. |
| Soho | 1283 Hamilton St. |
| Steamworks | 375 Water St. |
| Street Kitchen | 1950 Triumph St. |
| TC Lions Pub | 888 W Cordova St. |
| The Cannibal Cafe | 1818 Commercial Dr. |
| The Charlatan | 1447 Commercial Dr. |
| The Distillery Bar | 1131 Mainland St. |
| The Five Point | 3124 Main St. |
| The Union Kitchen and Bar | 219 Union St. |
| Their There | 2042 West 4th Ave. |
| Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana | 1190 Victoria Dr. |
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