Davis establishes outdoor dining rules and fees
Also: Guad’s on tap at Volt, updates on Tasty Pot, El Patio, Ho Ho Market, Parkside bar, Açaí Fresh, Davis Fencing Academy, Club Pheasant, Seasons’ chef and more
Davis City Council on Tuesday established standards for outdoor dining in downtown Davis, and narrowly approved a fee structure for restaurants and bars to use public space.
The plan creates consistent guidelines and base costs for bars and restaurants that want to use public outdoor areas. It was prompted by the G Street Activation project but applies to all downtown eateries and bars that want tables and chairs outside, whether it be next to their building, along the curb, as a parklet that removes parking spaces, or on the platforms being built along G Street.
It sets requirements for the furnishings, following safety, ADA, design, color and other standards. And it means that any downtown business with tables and chairs on public property will have to pay deposits and rental fees to continue doing so.
It does not address retail displays on civic spaces. That will be handled separately in the future. However, city staff members noted that events like sidewalk sales are considered a violation of city codes (that haven’t been enforced).
Davis Economic Development Director Katie Yancey said, “In many cases, they are not paying anything to use our sidewalks. This applies everywhere.”
After paying a $750 deposit and clearing other permits for insurance, alcohol and such, the businesses enter into a revocable license agreement to use city property. The new licensing streamlines several municipal codes and solidifies what outdoor dining looks like in downtown Davis. The city anticipates $30,000 to $50,000 in revenue for 2025-2026, if the 17-19 businesses that have outdoor dining continue.
One of the biggest users, Woodstocks’s Pizza, would pay $5,800 to $7,000 per year on top of $1,500 in deposits. That’s because they want to use all the public space available on both sides of their building at 238 G St. and on the G Street platform.
The council’s vote was 5-0 in favor of a resolution approving the downtown outdoor dining furnishing standards and guidelines. On the resolution establishing fees and charges to administer the downtown outdoor dining program, the vote was 3-2, with Mayor Chapman and Vice Mayor Bapu Vaitla dissenting. Chapman said he was opposed to charging businesses for the sidewalk space right next to their building, but in favor of charging in the other zones.
→ Gotta get a Guad’s: If it’s not on your radar, Volt Coffee, Tea & Taps opened one of its food trailers to a popular local restaurant. Guad’s Tacos & Beer sells its usual nachos, street tacos and burritos out of the trailer. It’s at 1123 Olive Drive in Davis.
The coffee/beer bar and food stand are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Pro tip: Check out Volt’s happy hour for $5 beers from 2 to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Meanwhile, Volt is looking for a pizza chef to run its other new food trailer, which has an Italian pizza oven.