The CaféTO Book

FOR THE CITY WE LOVE

PATIOS PEOPLE PLACES

PANDEMIC PLANNING

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THIS IS BOOK NUMBER

OF ONE HUNDRED COPIES FROM THE FIRST EDITION

WHAT DO THE PANDEMIC , PATIOS , PEOPLE ,

PLACES AND PLANNING HAVE IN COMMON?

CAFETO

CaféTO was a timely program born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help restaurants and bars in Toronto expand their outdoor dining space so that businesses were able to stay afloat and life could be enjoyed safely during the most challenging of times. These spaces were created primarily through the transformation of sidewalks and curb lanes into what we now fondly call: CaféTO patios

The 2020 and 2021 CaféTO programs saw the City of Toronto and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) banding together to transform stretches of curb lane into patios and parklets. This collaboration provided people with safe dining experiences while maintaining the necessary infrastructure for safe vehicular and active transportation movement.

CaféTO demonstrates dynamic use of curbside spaces, quick adaption to demand and priorities, as well as creative investment in resilient places that a city can achieve by working with multidisciplinary teams to safely plan, engineer, design and implement initiatives.

CaféTO represents an effective framework for pandemic planning, but it is so much more than that. When we needed it the most, CaféTO provided the city we love with—safe and inviting spaces to continue to live, work and play during a time we will never forget.

PANDEMIC PATIOS

1

247

PLACES PLANNING 295 319

CREDITS

PANDEMIC

PANDEMIC

A CITY STALLED

In a time when the streets of Toronto turned from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, one filled with liveliness and enthusiasm, to a scene of emptiness devoid of the usual day-to-day excitement, our City was in desperate need of invigoration.

The age of COVID-19 brought challenges that were unimaginable to the function of our cities and the lives of those that call them home. In Toronto specifically, subways that were once filled like sardine cans were left desolate, streets became boarded up with foreclosures and the diversity and life once felt within the City, were extinguished with the swift presence of fear, loss and uncertainty that overwhelmed its streets and people.

One of the hardest hit industries of them all, the restaurant industry, felt these impacts tenfold—with a third of Toronto’s restaurants falling victim to the economic challenges of the pandemic. In a time of strife, gloom and lifelessness, Toronto was in desperate need of positive change that would reignite its spirits and bring the City back to life.

IMPACT ON RESTAURANTS

In 2020 & 2021, restaurants were closed to indoor dining for over 360 days, and more than 200 restaurants were forced to close permanently in Toronto.

IMPACT ON JOBS

In the City of Toronto, 50% of the workforce is employed in the Food & Beverage sector, employing more than 64,000 workers with annual wages totaling $3.2 billion.

IMPACT ON CITY LIFE

The pandemic has resulted in a $8.35 billion reduction in Tourism and Hospitality spending, including a $1.33 billion reduction in Food & Beverage spending.

TTC ridership dropped from 526.3 million riders in 2019 to just 225 million in 2020, a whopping decline of 57.2%.

We are doing everything we can to help residents and businesses get through this terrible time. CaféTO is a quick-start program that will bring vibrancy back to our main streets and help our hospitality industry and all those who rely on it.

PATIOS

PATIOS

PATIOS BROUGHT SUMMER BACK

A crumbling restaurant industry, a City once full of hope and excitement now lifeless and lonely, and a team of experts with an idea to inspire a full 180.

Enter CaféTO, a program aimed at reviving the restaurant industry through the creation of flexible spaces to improve their capacity. With many establishments reduced to less than 50% of their regular seating capacity with physical distancing, all eyes turned to the public realm to offer some necessary relief to the constrained conditions.

CaféTO provided this opportunity—reclaiming space from the right-of-way to expand and create patios and parklets during the summer season. With the intensive efforts of many multidisciplinary transportation, placemaking, urban design and engineering experts, what emerged was a unique program that would come to transform the City of Toronto’s streets as we know them.

SETTING STAGE

SETTING THE STAGE

THESHOW MUST GO

SHOW ON

“ CaféTO is an enormously popular program that has helped hundreds of restaurateurs recoup losses and generate revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic will continue to impact both business owners and employees in Toronto’s hospitality industry for the foreseeable future. Making CaféTO permanent will bring a level of certainty as the industry works toward recovery.

MICHAEL THOMPSON — TORONTO DEPUTY MAYOR

IN THE 2020 CAFÉTO SEASON

801 restaurant patios and 44 public parklets were supported across 62 BIAs with 9,683 metres of curb lane space being transformed into new outdoor dining spaces in Toronto.

CORSO ITALIA

BLOORDALE VILLAGE

BLOOR BY THE PARK

LITTLE ITALY

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE

ST.LAWRENCE MARKET NEIGHBOURHOOD

HILLCREST VILLAGE WYCHWOOD HEIGHTS

HARBORD THE BEACH

COLLEGE PROMENADE DOWNTOWN YONGE

LIBERTY VILLAGE

DANFORTH VILLAGE BLOOR ANNEX QUEEN

CHURCH-WELLESLEY VILLAGE BLOOR-YORKVILLE

GREEKTOWN ON THE WEST QUEEN WEST

BLOORCOURT CHINATOWN

WESTON VILLAGE

ROSEDALE MAIN STREET FAIRBANK VILLAGE

RIVERSIDE TORONTO ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

LESLIEVILLE THE KINGSWAY

ST.CLAIR GARDENS

BLOOR

OAKWOOD VILLAGE

OSSINGTON PAPE VILLAGEUPTOWN YONGE

FINANCIAL DISTRICTMIDTOWN YONGE

FOREST MOUNT DENNIS

UPPER VILLAGE

THE EGLINTON WAY

YONGE & ST.CLAIR

VILLAGE ROGERS ROAD BABY POINT GATES

NEIGHBOURHOOD

REGAL HEIGHTS VILLAGE

KENSINGTON MARKET WILLOWDALE HEIGHTS

HARBORD STREET YONGE LAWRENCE VILLAGE

JUNCTION GARDENS

LONG BRANCH

MARKETO DISTRICT

BLOOR-YORKVILLE

QUEEN STREET WEST LITTLE PORTUGAL ON DUNDAS

THE DANFORTH MOUNT PLEASANT VILLAGE

BLOORCOURT VILLAGE

MIMICO BY THE LAKE

VILLAGE DANFORTH MOSAIC

RIVERSIDE DISTRICT

WEST VILLAGE

COLLEGE WEST

LAKESHORE VILLAGE

GERRARD INDIA BAZAAR

PARKDALE VILLAGEBAYVIEW LEASIDE

OSSINGTON AVENUE

BROADVIEW DANFORTH

TRINITY BELLWOODS

CABBAGETOWN

FOREST HILL VILLAGE DUPONT BY THE CASTLE

IN THE 2021 CAFÉTO SEASON

The CaféTO program expanded with more than 1,200 restaurants being supported across 69 BIAs. Over 12,000 metres of curb lane space were transformed into 940 restaurant patios and 65 public parklets.

12,000M OF LANES

TO CAFÉTO PATIOS

CAFÉTO PATIOS

LIGHTS PATIOS ACTION

PATIOS ACTION ! , ,

CaféTO is good for restaurants and residents. It has helped more than 1,200 restaurants and main streets across the city, and provided millions of dollars in support for the restaurant industry throughout the pandemic. This successful program is one of many important initiatives I’m proud we have put into place, and I know it will help Toronto come back from the pandemic stronger than ever, while also providing much-needed support to local businesses for years to come. ”

HAPPY PEOPLE HAPPY CITY

The true success of the CaféTO program was marked by the livelihoods it saved, the people it impacted and the joy it brought back to the City by re-enlivening the streets. The patios and parklets created additional space for people to socialize—an activity which the pandemic greatly limited. It provided levels of interaction that benefited the health and well-being of all Torontonians.

Emerging from what felt like endless lockdowns and restrictions, the simple pleasure of sharing a meal with friends and family on a patio defined the summers of many— with CaféTO making this a reality for Toronto. Streets once barren, were again filled with life, long into the nights, as the presence of patios began to transform the public realm into a space for gathering and socializing.

The images of laughter shared, meals served and patios enjoyed not only speak to the program’s success, but make the efforts of many feel all the more meaningful. CaféTO represents more than a planning intervention or a temporary public realm improvement—the program is about people and keeping spirits high in Toronto through the shared experience of food, drink and great company.

One of the keys to Toronto’s economic restart and recovery will be making sure we do everything we can to help our restaurants and bars thrive. We need to protect jobs, bring vibrancy back to our streets and help create enjoyable experiences for residents and visitors.

CaféTO has helped keep local restaurants in business, protected jobs and employees, and supported neighbourhoods and small business owners across the city. It’s an innovative program that has made more space for outdoor dining and has been received especially well by residents along popular destinations.

FOOD & FRIENDS FREEDOM

FRIENDS FREEDOM

CaféTO represents an opportunity to expand patio culture across our City and bring people back to our main streets as the City begins to reopen and recover. By providing more outdoor space for our restaurants and bars in the public right of way, CaféTO will help animate appropriate locations and provide support for one of our hardest hit industries during this health crisis. ”

MICHAEL THOMPSON — TORONTO DEPUTY MAYOR

SUMMER THE

SUMMER IN IS AIR

SIP... ,

CHAT,

ALLSMILES SEASON

THIS SMILES SEASON

Restaurant and bar patios play an important role in the economic and social vitality of our main streets and the City as a whole. CaféTO aims to help local restaurants and bar owners be successful as they reopen under new health and safety, and service protocols while balancing the needs of restaurants as well as pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles needing access to sidewalks or curb lanes. ”

JAMES PASTERNAK — CITY COUNCILLOR

CaféTO has brought back the energy and vibrancy of main streets as well as being a lifeline to local restaurants and communities throughout the pandemic. The program has shown us that there are healthy, safe alternatives for how we share our public space. By thinking a little differently, we help our local businesses thrive and our main streets become even more colourful, vibrant and liveable. ”

PLACES

PLACES

PEOPLE AND PATIOS CREATE GREAT PLACES

When people came together to enjoy CaféTO’s diverse assortment of patios and parklets, the result was the creation of newly invigorated, vibrant and animated places throughout the City of Toronto.

CaféTO had the effect of transforming full streets and neighbourhoods with its presence, bringing activity, excitement and opportunity back into the City. Whether it was the sounds of live music filling the streets, unique décors enlivening the streetscape, impromptu gatherings and entertainment occurring alongside restaurants or local artists’ work lining the roadways, the approach to CaféTO was as diverse as the neighbourhoods it brought new life into.

Beyond the practical reasons for the creation of Toronto’s CaféTO program, the benefits—in the way of placemaking, neighbourhood transformation, arts and cultural showcase and opportunities for innovation, expression and design in the form of diverse café setups—are plentiful.

The program is a prideful example of how resiliency, diversity and flexibility combine to make the best of an otherwise hopeless situation. The City of Toronto intends to make the CaféTO program a long-standing part of its summers—shifting the way we understand the urban public realm and the versatility of transportation infrastructure.

SUNSHINE & GOOD VIBES

SUNSHINE GOOD

CRUISING UNDER BLUE

CRUISING UNDER SKIES

PATIOS PEOPLE =

PATIOS PEOPLE +

DINING WITH LIGHTS

DINING LIGHTS CITY

DANCE NO WATCHING

DANCELIKE ONE’S WATCHING

PLANNING

PLANNING

CAFÉTO AND BEYOND

The pandemic highlighted the importance of outdoor spaces—fulfilling people’s need to socialize while feeling a sense of safety and security. As the pandemic restrictions are loosening, our City is moving closer to ‘business as usual.’ However, this transition does not come without lessons learned and a permanent shift in mentalities. Everything from public health measures to new ways of working and, more broadly, the way our cities are planned and function, has changed as a result of COVID-19.

This poses the question—how can we learn from and carry forward the successes of CaféTO?

For one, the program is likely to become a more permanent part of Toronto’s summers moving forward. Pandemic or business as usual, the ways in which CaféTO transformed the streets of Toronto and created a new sense of place and vibrancy are undeniable. Carrying the successes of CaféTO forward into the future, with more emphasis on permanency and formidability, will be essential for the City to continue reaping the benefits for years to come.

The options and opportunities for innovation and resilience are endless—but one thing is for certain, planning for the future of Toronto and CaféTO will be part of the same conversation from now on.

Few programs have uplifted restaurants and the hospitality industry like CaféTO. It has encouraged people to safely return to dining-out, and helped to keep businesses in business. It’s no secret that we have faced so many challenges and so much uncertainty throughout the pandemic but, we’re ready to do what we can to help keep the program successful and make it a fixture in Toronto. ”

Throughout the pandemic, outdoor dining options have been essential to businesses and residents alike, while also making Toronto’s streets more vibrant and dynamic. Therefore, I’m delighted that CaféTO will continue to support local restaurants and allow them to incorporate expanded outdoor dining options into their long-term plans. ”

MICHAEL THOMPSON — TORONTO DEPUTY MAYOR

The CaféTO program has been a hugely successful and incredibly popular program that has helped hundreds of restaurants stay open. There is overwhelming enthusiasm in favour of making the program permanent and to do so in a measured way that considers the many potential uses of public space going forward. ”

CREDITS

CREDITS

Levinson-King, Robin. “Toronto Lockdown - One Of The World’s Longest?”. BBC News, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/ world-us-canada-57079577.

Nguyen, Mimosa. “COVID-19 Permanent Restaurant And Bar Closures By Neighbourhood”., Tastetoronto, 2021, https://www. tastetoronto.com/news/covid-19permanent-restaurant-closuresby-neighbourhood.

Food & Beverage”. City Of Toronto, 2021, https://www. toronto.ca/business-economy/ industry-sector-support/foodbeverage/.

Rodrigues, Gabby. “Toronto Lost $8.35B In Tourist Activity Due To 1st Year Of COVID-19 Pandemic”., Global News, 2021, https:// globalnews.ca/news/7676334/ toronto-covid-19-impact-tourism/.

City Of Toronto Traffic Data Shows More People Staying Home To Fight COVID-19”. City Of Toronto, 2021, https://www. toronto.ca/news/city-of-torontotraffic-data-shows-more-peoplestaying-home-to-fight-covid-19/.

Toronto City Council approves bigger and better CaféTO program to help local restaurants”. City Of Toronto, 2021, https://www.toronto. ca/news/toronto-city-councilapproves-bigger-and-bettercafeto-program-to-help-localrestaurants/

City Of Toronto Report Recommends Plan To Make CaféTO Permanent And Waiving Fees In 2022”. City Of Toronto, 2021, https://www.toronto.ca/ news/city-of-toronto-reportrecommends-plan-to-makecafeto-permanent-and-waivingfees-in-2022/

Brittany Nguyen

Iris Deng Mike Duong

Nancy Ong

Astrid Greaves

AG Andrei Georgescu

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