Melvin Brewing has received permission from Eureka officials to expand its outdoor seating options.
The microbrewery and restaurant at 110 Hilltop Village Center Drive was granted a request to create an outdoor dining area in a part of its parking lot. The restaurant offers indoor and limited seating on an outdoor patio.
The Board of Aldermen voted 5-0 at its Sept. 1 meeting to approve the request. Ward 3 Alderman Jerry Holloway was not at the meeting.
Melvin investor Jeff Fillers told board members that in August, the restaurant scheduled a band to play on the sidewalk and customers only wanted to sit outside, so the business had to turn people away because of a lack of outdoor seating. He also said indoor seating has not been appealing to most customers lately.
“(Customers) still do not want to come inside the restaurant due to COVID,” he said.
Julie Wood, Eureka’s city clerk and director of economic development, said she will not be surprised if more restaurants ask the city for expanded outdoor seating.
She said she expects more businesses to ask for similar permits in the spring.
“I think we will see less of that after October ends because it will get cold,” Wood said.
Wood said the parking lot in front of Melvin is a bit easier to block off because the Hilltop Village Shopping Center has a single, private owner, and the restaurant is located in a corner of the plaza, which cuts down on traffic flow being disrupted.
Fillers said he had received permission to expand seating into the parking lot from the property’s owner, John Bradley, who was at the meeting.
Wood said every request will be studied on a case-by-case basis to ensure that expanding outdoor seating can be done safely.
Fillers said he spoke with officials from the Eureka Fire Protection District and Eureka Police Department about safety before he approached the city with his request.
Under the plan, blue barrels will mark off where the seating will be in front of restaurant so that traffic will not be able pass in front of the entrance.
Ward 2 Alderman Kevin Kilpatrick said he was concerned that noise would increase with more outdoor seating.
Fillers said bands and activities will be “kid friendly.”
“We are not a bar-bar, we are a family restaurant,” Fillers said. “There won’t be anybody out there past 10 p.m. We are not trying to run an event until 11 or 12 in the morning.”