Al fresco could be more thought through

Thursday 25 July 2019

Businesses in the North Plantation have so far not been overly impressed with the States' approach to introducing a trial al fresco dining license scheme.

In May it was announced that Traffic & Highway Services would prohibit access to the road alongside the Tourist Information office where there are several restaurants, takeaways and bars.

The trial which is still ongoing until next year was hoped to promote business owners to use a more 'creative' approach including expanding their al fresco dining areas. However for most restaurateurs the changes have been found to be 'minimal' and involved an initial cost to the business. 

General access for vehicles to North Plantation has been prohibited after 10:00 in the morning similar to other streets in Town. Deliveries (loading/unloading) have been allowed from 05:00 to 10:00 daily - something mainly used by the takeaway businesses. However allowing for access for emergency vehicles has meant most are actually unable to fit extra tables in the street. 

It is part of a wider plan to make more parts of Town welcoming for pedestrians - Market Street has already been the subject of resurfacing and improvements which were finished last month. 

Restaurateur Sam Jarrold, who has been running The Hook steakhouse and sushi bar in North Plantation for the past six years, said his business could have benefitted from an al fresco area in the summer months as few in Town are able to boast one, but that the costs didn't add up. 

Pictured: Sam Jarrold owner of The Hook in North Esplanade. 

"It was hard to be really positive about the scheme, it’d been talked about for so long I’d lost interest," he said. 

“When they said it’d be a trial scheme we were fully behind getting involved, it was a separate license application which an advocate said we’d be looking at £2,000 - £3,000 fee just for that. For us to do it the way we want it we’d need a large investment to make it aesthetically pleasing etc. we’d be talking about £20,000 to get it off the ground.

"We'd want outdoor heating and screens [barriers] to delineate our business from the others also because we have to put the bins out in the front and that's not a nice view for people eating.

"The risk factor was on our shoulders.

“If they decided not to do it we’d only be able to use it on Sea Front Sundays which we don’t have enough staff to be able to do, that’s a problem across the industry locally. It’s very hard to house [staff]," he said. 

 For Mr Jarrold, the States did not make the al fresco scheme viable enough for the initial investment. 

“The States have put four planters up and some road signs. I think [the States] could’ve at least tarmacked it prior to it being launched, I don't know when the last time they cleaned chewing gum off the road was, the license fees could’ve been subsidised or there could’ve been an arrangement to extend the license we use. 

“The difference is quite minimal," he said. 

Pictured: The al fresco seating area provided by The Vault (live music venue and pizzeria) which is next door to The Hook

Longstanding restaurant in the area La Perla said similarly that even if they were able to put more tables out under the scheme they do not at present have the staff to be able to deal with an increase in customers. 

"It was going to be nice if they did it properly but then they said we have to leave space for Emergency Vehicles – which I totally understand. At first I thought it was a brilliant idea but then I realised they needed the space. We wouldn’t have enough. We wouldn’t have enough staff to wait the tables if we had them, staff shortages are affecting everything,” said Head Chef Dinarte Fernandes

In fact the lack of access for all vehicles has actually been a downside for Mr Fernandes' clientele. 

"It’s not really made any difference apart from that people haven’t been able to be dropped off to the door any more. Some people really struggle to get to the door." 

Pictured: The North Plantation on a Wednesday lunchtime, with customers eating at La Perla Restaurant. 

The owner of another restaurant along the strip, Village East, said the atmosphere had been better for their al fresco diners in the area since the trial began but that they had not extended their existing al fresco area. 

"I think it is better, there's less cars, but it didn't really make that much difference, we did already have an outdoor area. It's a bit quieter though," said Owner Norberto Alves. 

The Vault have provided seating for their proprietors which stays in place into the late evening. The bar closes at 01:00 each night. No-one from the business was available for comment. 

Pictured: Frossard House.

A spokesperson from Traffic and Highway Services said the potential to resurface the road would be reassessed at the end of the trial next year.