Parking spaces are now patios at these Magnolia restaurants. Will the trend spread?
In the downtowns and entertainment districts of many cities some curbside parking has been replaced with patios for diners and drinkers — a concept born in the pandemic to give restaurants more outdoor space that has been slow to catch on in Fort Worth.
That’s slowly changing in the city’s Near Southside, where two so-called parklets on Magnolia have popped up in the last few months and a third is planned for South Main Street. In August, the city’s transportation and public work staff will recommend the city adopt a policy for turning parking spaces into people spaces.
“I think people really enjoy the ambiance. Magnolia is such a wonderful place, to be really out in it is really attractive to a lot of people,” said Toni Guinn, owner and manager of Grand Cru Wine Bar. “We’ve had rave reviews.”
In April Grand Cru was the first Fort Worth restaurant to receive a permit for a parklet, though the city has had a pilot program available for businesses since June 2020. Two parking spots in front of the wine bar at 1257 W. Magnolia Ave. now seat about 20 people. Chairs are set up street level, with planters acting as a barrier between the street, but Guinn said she hopes to build a structure that’s level with the sidewalk.
She didn’t have hard numbers during an interview, but she said the addition of the parklet has created a “solid uptick” in business, especially on nice evenings when both the patio and inside will fill up. Grand Cru has capacity for 61 inside, and before the parklet there was room for only two small tables outside.
A second parklet is down the street in front of the Lazy Moose and Nonna Tata.
The concept is simple. Restaurants or bars in commercial districts or areas with a blend of commercial and other uses can apply for a 12 month permit through the Fort Worth’s transportation and public works department. The permit allows owners to take up two or three parking spaces in front of their business as long as the street has a speed limit of 30 mph or less and at least six feet of sidewalk space is maintained, the transportation staff said in an email.
A year ago when the city first opened the door for parklets, five businesses showed interest, but none went through with the permit until Grand Cru, the city said. When the council returns from its July break, transportation staff will recommend ending the pilot program and developing a parklet permit with design guidelines.
But there is some concern about how parklets will affect parking, said Vance Martin, owner of Lili’s Bistro at 1310 W. Magnolia Ave.
Anecdotally, Martin said, he has heard complaints about a lack of parking in the Magnolia Avenue area. Though he has a small parking lot, he worries turning on-street spaces into patios will worsen the problem.
“I know I’ve lost business from people who avoid the area because of the parking,” he said. “To lose more seems nonsensical.”
Parking may not be a long term problem, he said, if more people take Uber, Lyft or the Zipzone to Magnolia. The Near Southside also should promote a free garage on Alston Avenue, he said.
Near Southisde Inc., a development district that promotes the neighborhoods just south of downtown, is developing a parklet on South Main, but has no official position on whether businesses should apply for parklets, president Mike Brennan said. The district had previously tested reclaiming parking spaces for public space during PARK(ing) Days, an event on the third Friday of September when on-street parking is turned into public plaza space.
“It’s obviously not a one-size-fits-all situation,” Brennan said.
The South Main parklet will be near Hotbox Biscuits, 313 S Main St. The spot was once a driveway opening, but there is no longer a driveway there, he said. The area near the corner with East Broadway has become a hub, but lacks a public open space off the street.
Back at Grand Cru on Magnolia, Guinn said she hopes to keep the parklet permanently and is coming up with designs based on parklets she has seen in other Texas cities, Scottsdale, Arizona, St. Petersburg, Florida, and more recently in Boston.
“They’re everywhere and so many are pretty outdoor spaces,” she said. “We have a lot of ideas.”
