Longmont Restaurant Owners Start Petition To Keep Barriers Up On Main Street Through 2021
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) -- The owners of a restaurant in Longmont want to see the city keep the barriers on Main Street through next year.
Todd and Andrea Eichorn, who own La Vita Bella, say the additional outside seating has helped their cafe thrive during the pandemic.
"We were able to not only maintain our staff but increase our number of employees," the Eichorns wrote. "We doubled our revenue, increasing what we contribute to sales taxes for the City and the State of Colorado.
The Eichorns started a petition to keep the barriers up through 2021 and they're hoping to collect 1,000 signatures.
"It has been communicated to us by the large majority of our patrons that outside seating is a must for them to continue to support their local restaurants," the petition states.
"This accommodation has already been extended in Denver and Fort Collins. It seems appropriate to extend the same to our community here in Longmont."
A portion of the barriers were removed at the end of September, but, according to the Longmont Times, "a request from business owners allowed a single northbound lane from the midblock pedestrian crossing in the 500 block of Main Street and a single southbound lane closed from Fifth Avenue to the mid-block pedestrian crossing of the 400 block of Main Street until Nov. 2."
Even with colder weather around the corner, the Eichorns expect outdoor seating to be a factor in their continued success -- and say that without it, they could be forced to shut down.
