Areas where tables and chairs can be added include sidewalks, nearby parking lots and open spaces, and - as a last resort - on-street parking spots.

 

The new rules are the kick-off of what’s being called ReCov - short for “Recover Covington” - a campaign to help re-start the economy in Covington, beginning with restaurant dining rooms, in a responsible and respectful manner that protects businesses, employees, and customers.

 

“One of Covington’s greatest attractions is its unique restaurants that serve everything from Korean bento boxes to Guatemalan chicken to bar-b-cue smoked outdoors near a brewery,” Economic Development Director Tom West said. “But those restaurants have been one of the hardest-hit sectors of the economy, and we want to give them the best possible chance of not only surviving the pandemic but also successfully navigating the reopening. Additional seating is important, equally so is making sure that the new dining experience feels safe and is safe.”

 

The City is not shutting down streets to create more dining space - both Covington’s core business area and its neighborhood business districts are too integrated into the surrounding communities to do so, and too many other retail businesses themselves need open streets to survive, West said.

 

Dining rooms and many other businesses were shut down just over two months ago by Gov. Andy Beshear as part of a national strategy to keep the highly contagious and sometimes fatal novel coronavirus from spreading. But on Friday, they are cleared to reopen in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, albeit with restrictions that include using no more than 33 percent of their interior seating capacity.

 

Because there are so many moving parts and unique situations, the City hired Josh Rhodes, a former restaurant manager in Covington, to handle the details and work one-on-one with restaurant owners. The expanded outdoor seating program was created with feedback from restaurant owners and managers, and they are encouraged to contact Rhodes at josh.rhodes@covingtonky.gov for more information. 

 

Covington Mayor Joe Meyer today signed executive order establishing the outdoor seating program. The order, as well as an updated application for an outdoor seating license permit, can be found HERE.

 

Restaurants must fill out the application and provide a diagram of their proposed temporary dining zone. The City is waiving the fee for the permit and is giving credit to those who have already received a permit for this year.

 

Tents with walls are forbidden on the public right of way or in public lots, but canopies may be allowed with additional approval.

 

Among the requirements:

The City will also provide free short-term hourly parking at all City-owned meters and off-street parking lots during the months of May and June. Previously the City set aside two 15-minute free parking spots in front of restaurants to encourage carryout orders.

 

City Manager David Johnston, who is also executive director of the Covington Motor Vehicle Parking Authority, said the authority and the City were willing to forgo some revenue on a temporary basis to help businesses survive.

 

“We know restaurants in particular have suffered under the shutdown, and we’re doing what we can to encourage people to patronize those businesses,” Johnston said.

 

 

Covington-based creative design agency BLDG Refuge developed the ReCov marketing campaign for the City and is creating signage, messaging, and information summaries that restaurants can post on their premises or use on social media to communicate with their diners.

 

A ReCov toolkit will be available for download from BLDG’s website, HERE, starting Thursday.

 

West emphasized that restaurants and diners alike must take seriously state guidelines on social distancing. When restaurants in Ohio opened last week, photos shared across social media showed diners at some establishments leaving their seats and standing in large groups, socializing in close quarters in violation of health directives.

 

“If we see unsafe practices like that, the City will be forced to revoke a restaurant’s outdoor seating permit, and we will not hesitate to do that,” West said. “The purpose of this temporary program is to expand dining areas, not to create a bunch of mini-festivals around town that lead to a spread of COVID-19.”

 

Under the state’s reopening, restaurants are limited to 33 percent of their interior capacity. Other state guidelines include recommendations on:

A complete list of state requirements for reopened restaurants can be found HERE.

 

The Northern Kentucky Health Department has the jurisdiction and authority to enforce compliance, and the state has both a hotline and a website for reporting non-compliance, HERE.

 

“NKY Health supports the reopening of restaurants and other establishments in a manner that protects the safety and health of Northern Kentucky residents,” said Steve Divine, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for the department. “It is not only the businesses and the Health Department that must work together - it is also up to the general public to take precautions to prevent COVID-19. Let's all work together to make reopening successful.”

 

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