Pittsburgh extends outdoor dining permit option

PITTSBURGH — The option to dine outside on the street or on a rooftop became vital for restaurants and bars during the pandemic. On Tuesday, restaurant and bar owners got some welcome news in Pittsburgh.

“It gives us another option,” said Gaucho restaurant manager Don Doherty.

Doherty said Pittsburgh city council’s decision to extend outdoor dining permits is welcome news. He said Gaucho relied on a rooftop seating area for about 30% of their business during the pandemic.

“We’ve been able to utilize this outdoor space up here even with low staffing,” Doherty said.

“It was very bad with the virus. A lot of restaurants, they closed. The city helped us with putting the tables outside,” said restaurant owner Christos Melacrinos.

With other downtown companies like BNY Mellon and Highmark planning to bring back employees, other restaurant and bar owners are hopeful they’ll be able to hire more staff.

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