Downtown Moses Lake to offer more outdoor seating

MOSES LAKE — A block-long stretch of Third Avenue in downtown Moses Lake, from Division to Ash, is going to start closing on Fridays and Saturdays to encourage outdoor dining.

According to Brandon Nicholas, executive director of the Downtown Moses Lake Association, Third Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic from Friday morning until Saturday evening starting this Friday and “for the foreseeable future,” allowing people to sit at tables and chairs placed in the street to eat and socialize.

“We’re looking to have about 16 additional places for seating,” Nicholas said.

The added tables and space will allow people to get together while social distancing — required in this COVID-19 pandemic period. The state rules to combat COVID-19 have made it difficult for small businesses to keep going. The added space for customers may make a big difference to downtown restaurants.

Nicholas said the Downtown Moses Lake Association initially will borrow the “pretty heavy duty” outdoor seating from the city’s Surf ‘n Slide water park — which is closed. After blocking the street off at 7 a.m., Friday, the association will place the tables and seats in Third Avenue, and then reopen Third on Saturday at around 8 p.m.

“As long as weather and daylight permits,” he said.

Local restaurants know about the plan, Nicholas said, and can participate in it however they wish. Seating will be first come, first served.

Oscar Juarez, co-owner of El Chele Salvadoran Food at 212 S. Division St., about a half-block northwest of Third Avenue, said he doesn’t have any space in front of his restaurant for outdoor seating, so outdoor dining on Third Avenue would be a help to his business. El Chele opened in February just a month before the state ordered restaurants closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It would be really good for me to have the ability to sell people food and tell them they are able to go over there and eat with the families,” Juarez said. “It would bring more people to eat, and also more people would get to know my restaurant because, you know, it’s small, and it’s like I’m hiding.”

“It’ll help a lot,” he added.

Nicholas said that during the rest of the week, the tables, which have attached seating, will be moved onto the sidewalk, so that patrons from restaurants along or close to that stretch of Third that are currently open during the week, such as Tsunami Sushi, Pho Saigon, Roost and Red Door Cafe, can continue to use them.

“Right now the feedback is positive, so if it works out, we will try and grow it in following years,” he said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].