Bay City, Michigan (WNEM) – Local pub and restaurant owners are disappointed after the city commissioner refused to allow an extension of the road closure for outdoor dining on Midland Street in Bay City.
“It’s very surprising that they decided not to extend our business,” said Jay Samborn, owner of Lucky’s Pub. “You know, at least for the rest of the summer. We still have some summer to play here.”
As part of “Foot on the Street,” roads have been closed to traffic throughout the city centre of Bay this summer to allow for outdoor dining.
The closure of Midland Street ended on Monday. Samborn wants to extend the closure on the west side of Midland Street until October. 15.
City Commissioner Jesse Dockett said he would support extending the date, but only on weekends.
“We thought a lot of things would happen during the day, but it never really happened,” said District 1 City Commissioner Jesse Dockett.
Those who work for Lucky’s Pub believe there is no level playing field between the city’s boroughs.
“The East End was allowed to stay open until October, but we couldn’t do that,” Lucky’s bar manager Elizabeth Schulz said.
“There are other areas that continue to block off streets and allow their customers to be outside, which puts us at a bit of a disadvantage,” Sanborn said. “This has resulted in all businesses being affected, not just restaurants and bars.”
Staff at Lucky’s Pub want commissioners to reconsider their positions next year.
“We’re getting a lot of foot traffic on the street compared to before,” Schultz said. We’ve got more people wanting to go out, more bands, more entertainment. “
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