Dear Members of the City Council, We are writing in response to the letter we received over the weekend regarding the decision to remove the traffic barriers on Santa Cruz Avenue. We have benefitted immensely from using the space on the street as well as both our parklet patios for outdoor dining and have needed all of those tables, and sometimes more to accommodate demand on a busy evening. We’ve been in conversations with the Chamber of Commerce, Planning Department, and many of our neighboring business owners, so we realize the decision on opening the street to allow traffic in both directions is complex, requires collective thought, strategy, and compromise. Ideally, Bistro Vida would benefit most from keeping the street closed until indoor dining is permitted. The warm weather is keeping our business thriving, but we’re looking into the not so distant future and trying to come up with a plan for covering the patios and the street (if it remains closed) to protect diners from the rain, to keep them as warm as possible, and to keep us in business. At the moment, we are considering the possibilities of building awnings and tent-like coverings and are working with Environmental Health to make sure that any solution is within its guidelines. Normally our business increases 90% during the holiday months and we will need as many socially distanced tables as possible just to break even this year. We would be happy to continue to be part of the conversation for a solution that will benefit all of the businesses in downtown Menlo Park. The parklet project has been a very attractive addition and we are grateful that the City took the initiative. We’re looking for assistance and ideas that will benefit the Santa Cruz Avenue immediately and during the winter months as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic. Thank you for your continued support! Sincerely, Ali El Safy Received on Mon Aug 17 2020 - 13:30:27 PDT
