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. ”

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. ”