George & Orange looks at second year of expanded patio
Collin Whitehouse
By Cecilia Nasmith
What a difference a year does NOT make – at least for the George and Orange Taproom and Kitchen.
For a second year in a row, owner Jenna Fitzgerald approached Cobourg council for a bylaw exemption to allow her to expand the modest patio of her small restaurant to take up the entire parking lot of her establishment.
“Unfortunately, as you all know, COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on my business, as it has for other businesses across Ontario,” Fitzgerald said at Monday's committee-of-the-whole meeting.
“We had great success with our parking lot patio, which opened in July, and were able to keep going through Dec. 19 through the outpouring of support from our community. People were coming out with blankets and parkas. They supported us up to the bitter end, which was amazing.”
Following the closure on Dec. 20, she planned to open for a new season at the beginning of April – which turned out to bed about the time the province issued the current Stay-At-Home Order. With a second COVID summer approaching, Fitzgerald is making the same request for a second year.
At Monday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, council authorized the bylaw exemption for the restaurant at 67 Orange St.
“Congratulations, Jenna,” Mayor John Henderson said.