*Cinder BBQ’s street-side seating now with table-side heaters*

by Austin Schott

Well it’s that time of year again. I love sweater weather and all that, but it’s gotten to the point that I now wear a sweater even while indoors.

What does this mean for outdoor dining? Like many of you, outdoor dining has been a lifeline of semi-normalcy for me during the pandemic – not to mention the saving grace it’s been for restaurants, who are limited to 50% indoor capacity now, down to 25% on December 14th.

In colder temperatures, folks may increasingly have to choose between dining indoors, at higher risk to Covid, or give up restaurants altogether.

So Mayor Muriel Bowser and Shawn Townsend, the Director of the DC Office of Nightlife and Culture, came up with a plan: they opened a $4 million grant to provide funds to restaurants seeking to winterize their space. The Streatery Winter Ready Grant Program provides up to $6,000 per restaurant for sidewalk cafes, summer gardens, and streaterys, located in DC. The grants can be used for tents, heating, lighting, furniture, and marketing – all in hopes of sustaining outdoor dining during the chillier months.

“As nightlife operators and employees continue to be severely impacted by a global pandemic, we continue to identify ways that District Government can provide short-term and long-term relief to the industry,” said Townsend in a statement. “We remain steadfast in identifying ways that assistance can be provided. I appreciate the efforts across District agencies to allow us to offer the Streatery Winter Ready Grant Program and additional relief opportunities.”

According to DCist, as of the beginning of November, 428 bars and restaurants across DC have received grants from the Mayor’s Office, including a number in the greater Petworth neighborhood: No Kisses, Wonderland Ballroom, Tabla, Midlands Beer Garden, Hook Hall, Makan, The Coupe, Tsehay, Looking Glass Lounge, Homestead, Capital Cider House, Cinder Neighborhood BBQ, El Torogoz, Hitching Post, and Slash Run, among others.

We chatted with a couple business owners to hear how they’re using the funds.

Homestead, on Georgia Avenue, will winterize their back patio, a beautiful rooftop setting that provides a secret-garden vibe in the center of busy Petworth. Personally, I’m thrilled I can enjoy their Sweet Potato Gnocchi even in chillier weather. The owner, Nic Makris, says he’s still brainstorming how he’s going to shape the space but he’s dreaming of wrapping the sides of the patio and hang heaters from the ceiling.

*Homestead’s garden patio… winterization to come.*

Makris also mentioned a vision he’s had for setting up a streatery out front with a series of sidewalk café tables. “I’d love for there to be demand for it,” he said, but he expressed concern that Georgia Avenue traffic might be too chaotic for visitors to enjoy a meal on the street.

Galvalee Siwayaparm (left) and Porravee Julasigkee (right) in Pantry’s patio space. Winterization to come. — *Galvalee Siwayparm (left) and Porravee Julasigkee (right) in Pantry’s patio space. Winterization to come.*

Pantry, a Thai restaurant on Georgia Avenue, is redecorating its outdoor space to attract new customers. They’re replacing their time-tested wooden tables with fresh table sets and heat lamps. Owner Tom Sarobon told me he was very thankful for the program as well as District Bridges, a nonprofit who shared the opportunity with local businesses. “We are very thankful for everybody… [there are] so many hands that help us: the government, non-profit organizations, etc.”

*Slash Run’s patio classic street-side dining now complete with new heaters and tent barriers between tables*

Christine Lilyea, owner of Slash Run on the east end of Upshur, is making changes both indoors and outdoors to adjust for the pandemic. In addition to tent flaps and a variety of heaters outdoors, Lilyea said they also purchased air purifiers (and are swapping out the filters religiously) to keep air clean indoors.

I chatted with Eric Rojas and Kate Davis, both of whom were eating at Slash Run when I stopped by. “I love the new setup,” said Eric, “The tent flaps keep in the heat while allowing for airflow.”

Cinder BBQ’s patio combines distancing and heaters to keep patrons comfortable. (photo: Cinder BBQ)

Cinder BBQ has taken the pandemic in stride. They installed heaters and are encouraging folks to bring blankets for outdoor dining. At the beginning of the pandemic, they opened up the front of their shop with a display of their wide variety of whiskeys and other beverages for purchase.

*Cinder’s impressive display of whiskey.*

And because DC requires food purchases with drinks, they facilitate meal donations for those just stopping by to pick up a beverage.

*The Hitching Post’s deck is under construction while they build a new canopy over their spacious outdoor seating.*

The Hitching Post, a Petworth staple that’s been here since 1967, is undergoing a face-lift with their grant funding. They’re constructing a semi-permanent canopy, complete with flaps and table-side electric heaters to preserve heat. They’re hoping customers will be able to enjoy Hitching Post’s legendary southern cuisine while staying warm, partitioned from traffic, and escaping the stale air that Covid experts warn us against.

*Menya Hosaki’s outdoor patio after installing heaters for the winter.*

Eric Yoo from Menya Hosaki said he didn’t apply for the grant program, but he still outfitted his back patio, a cozy space sprinkled with string lights, with a heater alongside every table. I can testify that when I grabbed a bowl of his delicious Spicy Tantan Men (pork belly and an egg in a creamy pork broth) the other day, the ambiance was sufficiently toasty for me to even peel off my winter coat.

The cold weather may still chill sales
At the same time, restaurant owners tell me the grant program isn’t the end of their fears. Even heaters and tents can only hold off winter for so long. Makris told me he hopes the grant can extend outdoor dining by a few months, but he doesn’t imagine he can continue to attract customers if temperatures drop close to freezing. Yoo told me that in the dead of winter, Menya Hosaki may have to adapt. “We were fortunate to open in months where the weather was super nice,” he said. “But now it’s coming to a point where we’re going to have to either only do take-out or have just a few indoor tables.”

Owners also shared that finding and sustaining heaters has been an issue. Yoo said “These days it’s just harder to get those heaters. Period.” He said he called up every Home Depot and Lowes in the area trying to find heaters, but they were all sold out. In the end, he found heaters from a vendor via eBay.

Makris said he was able to secure heaters through his Business Improvement District – an organization that restaurants can pay into for collective support and programming. But Homestead runs through several propane tanks every weekend. He texted me a picture of his tank-filled trunk to emphasize his point.

*Nic Makris’ car filled to the brim with propane tanks (photo: Makris)*

Meanwhile, demand is increasing for propane. Makris says that his supplier increased their cost of refills 20% (from $24.99 to $28.99) in a week’s time. When Makris asked why the supplier upped the cost, they responded: “Because of all the restaurants.”

At times it can feel like we’ve grown accustomed to the new dining norms brought on by Covid. But bars and restaurants continue to face steep challenges, and the challenges can vary from season to season. Hopefully, the Mayor’s grant will ease the burden, for now.

That being said, one consistent theme I heard from across my conversations were how grateful owners were to have the Petworth community continuing to support them and stop by – albeit more bundled up than usual.

Lilyea told us, “We appreciate the city’s support in offering funding to provide a warm and safe environment so we can continue to do business. Can’t do it without customers and the city. That’s for sure!”