Community still keen on outside eats

LOCAL residents have given the City of Ballarat’s outdoor dining hubs a big tick of approval, as hospitality venues continue to struggle with the economic consequences of COVID.

More than 70 percent of respondents to a City of Ballarat survey said they were either “happy” or “very happy” with the temporary hubs, funded via the State Government’s Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package.

The majority of people who took the survey also said they’d be prepared to park further away from venues, and walk from their cars, if it helped provide more outdoor space.

The desire for well-designed and “aesthetically pleasing spaces”, that also give protection from the weather, was another theme that emerged.

An additional $300,000 of funds allocated to the City from the State Government is due to be spent on installing wind protection glass screens and umbrella sockets across 42 venues, after local operators agreed that weather, rather than space, was their main concern outdoors.

This follows the April removal of all-weather temporary dining “cubes” from Sturt and Armstrong Streets, which operated during events such as the Cycling Road Nationals and the Ballarat Begonia Festival over summer. The cubes provided an extra 36 outdoor dining seats at the time.

Cr Samantha McIntosh welcomed the demand from the public for continued better outdoor dining facilities that are able to “cope with all seasons”.

“The Ballarat community and businesses have sent a strong message through our survey that they enjoyed and appreciated the temporary hubs,” she said.

“Council is now better informed, to extend outdoor dining options to create a positive impact and unique dining destination experience for residents and visitors alike.”