Bellevue greenlights summer outdoor dining for third consecutive year

Old Bellevue will continue to allow restaurant dining in parking spaces this summer.

Exceptions to local laws are being allowed so the popular pandemic measure can continue for the third year.

Bellevue lawmakers are looking at making some of the outdoor-use laws permanent.

“The Al Fresco program on Main Street and across the city supports Bellevue’s efforts to grow as a destination for outdoor dining and fun activities,” wrote Jesse Canedo, Bellevue’s Chief Economic Development Officer, in a news release. “We’re already looking for ways to continue this type of work in other areas of downtown.”

The Eastside’s continuation of outdoor dining follows a similar move made by the City of Seattle. Use of street space for outdoor dining and retail will continue, without fees, through January 2023. The city’s council has indicated that it will maintain the program, albeit with a fee structure, into the future.

‘Outdoor dining is part of the fabric of our city:’ Seattle council moves on free street use

“We need to keep outdoor dining as a part of the fabric of our city, forever, or at least through my lifetime,” said Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss.