San Carlos Restaurants Get Extension for Outdoor Dining.

Extended Until September 1, 2021

The San Carlos City Council voted 3-2 this week to extend the outdoor dining experiment in downtown San Carlos until September 1, 2021. The program involves blocking parts of Laurel Street to through traffic to allow restaurants to seat diners more safely outdoors and was set to expire at the end of this year. It also provides outdoor dining space via “parklets” on other parts of Laurel Street, as well as other side streets, that aren't closed to through traffic.

The program has proven to be extremely popular with San Carlos diners, especially on the warmer summer and fall evenings. During those times, several of the more popular San Carlos dining spots were booked to capacity, much to the delight of restaurant owners and residents alike. The extension to the program comes as a welcome relief to restaurant owners, who will undoubtedly be facing dwindling crowds as the weather turns more inclement. Under the current County of San Mateo guidelines, restaurants can allow very limited indoor seating provided they follow strict social distancing guidelines. But if the nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases is any indication, that luxury may be short-lived as restrictions will likely be tightened if cases rise in San Mateo County.

For now, enjoy the fact that you'll be able to enjoy dining outdoors at your favorite San Carlos restaurants through much of next year. And while you're at it, be sure to support the non-eatery businesses in downtown San Carlos, many of which have seen their revenues drop significantly due to the lack of parking in front of their businesses.