Outdoor Dining in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Threatened

For the past two summers, Portsmouth residents have been getting used to outdoor dining; however, the future of outdoor dining seems unclear without robust support from community members.

Outdoor dining in Portsmouth started around May 2020 to help local restaurants remain profitable, while adhering to CDC guidelines, during the pandemic.

Most residents, and tourists, would agree that the outdoor dining added charm, aesthetically pleasing barriers, and more fun to Market Square and beyond.

Unlike other cities and towns, the Portsmouth outdoor dining seemed well put together, thoroughly thought for, and well-executed.

According to Emily Weidman, manager at The GOAT, “every business who wanted barriers (for outdoor dining) could get them.”

Weidman detailed the behind-the-scenes: Severino Trucking Co. donated the barriers, the Department of Public Works installed the barriers, and the restaurants involved all got a vote for the color and aesthetics of the setup.

So are you going to be able to eat outside with your dog in the summer of 2022, 2023, and beyond?

“Most restaurants are going on the idea that we will be back (with outdoor dining),” said Councilman Andrew Bagley over a phone interview, “but the truth is, it is not set in stone.”

Bagley seems to be leading the charge in making sure our town has the beautiful outdoor accommodations that we have had over the past two years.

“For me, outdoor dining is everything,” Bagley specified. “I am going to facilitate that as much as I can and that is fiscally fair.”

Most restaurant owners and managers in the downtown area seem to love what outdoor dining has done to their business.

According to Dedrick Schimke, Director of Operations at the Thirsty Moose, “Outdoor dining has been huge for our business… it has been worth the extra expenses.”

Extra expenses related to outdoor dining include, but are not limited to, extra tables, chairs, silverware, and so on. Further, there are different liquor licenses and insurance policies related to the additional seating outside.

For the past two years, the extra licensing/insurance has been fully or mostly covered by the town. If outdoor dining is to continue, some kind of arrangement will need to be made; whether businesses pay the extra fees upfront, the town covers it, or a combination of the two.

For now, the future of outdoor dining in downtown Portsmouth seems unclear without support from the people. Outdoor dining on the sidewalk is “up to the city manager;” whereas, “outdoor dining on the street (parking spaces) is up to the city council,” said Bagley.

Councilman Bagley turned the question of outdoor dining back to the people of Portsmouth, urging people to make their voices heard:

“We are elected to do what is best for the city… if we get 100 emails and 95 of them say ‘we want outdoor dining to stay’ and five emails say ‘we want the parking spaces to stay,’ we would have to keep the outdoor dining.”

To make your voice heard and to keep outdoor dining permanently in Portsmouth, fill out the form here, making sure to mention your request to keep outdoor dining as a norm for the future. All city council members are CCed on every form that is submitted.