The Town of Winamac is not prepared to close one of its downtown streets to expand outdoor dining space. Tippy’s owner Sheila Jimenez asked town council members Monday if they’d be willing to consider closing off a portion of Market Street between her restaurant and One Eyed Jack’s.
Communities across the country have considered similar measures as a way to let restaurants serve more customers while still practicing social distancing. Jimenez also thought the idea would beautify Downtown Winamac and possibly attract more customers. But she said she hadn’t discussed it with neighboring businesses yet, since she wanted more direction from the council.
Council Member Judy Heater was open to the idea, but Council President Tom Murray and others had concerns with closing the street to traffic. Murray suggested simply converting the existing on-street parking spaces to dining areas, but Jimenez thought that could lead to safety hazards. A number of other variations were also discussed.
Jimenez couldn’t come to an agreement with council members Monday, but they seemed open to considering other ideas if businesses could agree on them.
