La Mesa to increase outdoor dining opportunities

City officials in La Mesa plan to expand sidewalk dining opportunities for local restaurants.

“Since the end of the pandemic, the City has received consistent community support for maintaining and expanding outdoor dining opportunities citywide,” a staff report said.

A policy that recently received unanimous council support will expand permitted sidewalk dining to all commercial zones. Previously, that option was only available to restaurants within the downtown commercial zone.

If a business is permitted to expand its dining to public sidewalks, city-owned property will be relocated — without cost to the restaurant owner.

La Mesa is becoming a new hub for dining, especially since the welcoming of outdoor seating options in downtown, Councilmember Lauren Cazares said.

“If we’re going to lean into that identity, it is critical that the policies we pass support our restaurants and protect the dining experience for patrons,” Cazares said.

While many restaurant owners expressed support for the policy, some warned that the proposed rules on hours of operation could harm businesses.

The originally proposed policy would have required sidewalk dining operations to be shut down by 10 p.m.

Restaurant owner Mark Hunter said that would be hard on staff and patrons.

“If you’re sitting out and enjoying the evening and all of the sudden umbrellas are coming up and chairs are being folded, it’s not a relaxing experience,” Hunt...