Al fresco dining added to winter menus along The Quay

Thursday 07 October 2021

Restaurants and bars along The Quay will make al fresco dining a feature of the Town seafront all year round.

A trial has been underway since July and has received positive feedback from local customers, tourists, and business owners.

Steve Le Poidevin, owner of Balthazar, told Express how much of an impact the al fresco dining has had on his business: “It’s added that extra volume of people so for the business it’s been really strong.”

Like many other businesses, restaurants and bars were hit hard by the pandemic, however the use of outdoor space has assisted business recovery and boosted customer satisfaction.

PingQuay Director, Simon Allum, explained that his bar only opened two years, and he lost five months of that to lockdowns: “That’s a big chunk of a new business, so anything to enhance the reputation or enhance people’s awareness of where we are [is positive].”

"It's not just one person who will benefit, it's for all of us"

In addition to the business benefits, Mr Allum believes that it benefits customers to sit outside.

“We need to move people out of buildings, we’re locked up for so many months a year that any chance you can get of a few days sitting outside, I’d take it.”

Both Mr Le Poidevin and Mr Allum intend to “winter-ise” their outdoor spaces to be used during the off-peak seasons.

“We’re going to use them throughout the winter because we think it’s a good profile for our business,” said Mr Allum.

Mr Le Poidevin aims to change the awnings and "give it more of a continental feel, so there will be sides and fronts to it so people can use it every single day of the year.”

The permanent al fresco dining will benefit all businesses between the Crown Pier steps and Mora restaurant, with scenic views of the “gorgeous seafront” for customers.  

Mr Le Poidevin added: “The support we’ve had from E&I has been fantastic, it’s been a real strong case of business and government working together.”