outdoor dining

Next week, Patriot Place will open up two areas where patrons can eat and drink outdoors after buying takeout, the shopping and entertainment complex in Foxboro, Massachusetts, announced Tuesday. The two designated outdoor refreshment areas will be on either end of Patriot lace’s North Marketplace. People can bring takeout food and alcoholic beverages and have them there between noon...

Since it was blocked off to traffic, Waltham’s Moody Street has become an even more popular dining destination. But some business owners are concerned emergency vehicles can’t get through.

Outdoor dining has made a big difference for restaurants in Boston’s North End. “It’s doing fantastic. I mean, I think that’s what people want,” said Adrienne DeStefano of Cafe Paradiso. But this week’s heat wave — which has temperatures rising into the 90s and the heat index into the 100s — has put a damper on it. “People don’t...

Gov. Dan McKee has signed into law legislation allowing restaurants to continue to use COVID-19 modifications, including outdoor dining and takeout windows. The legislation imposes a moratorium on the enforcement of any municipal ordinance or zoning requirement that would penalize restaurants and bars for modifications made in response to emergency orders from state or local officials. The moratorium is effective…

The City Council in Maine’s largest city has decided to continue a pandemic rule to allow outdoor dining and retail in place until at least the fall. Portland is looking to end a local emergency declaration about the pandemic on July 29. That would also end additional powers given to the city manager that can restrict public gatherings. The Portland…

A bill temporarily extending a host of pandemic-era policies that would otherwise expire in connection with next Tuesday’s termination of the COVID-19 state of emergency cleared the Massachusetts Senate on a voice vote Thursday afternoon. The bill keeps measures including the authorizations for mail-in voting, remote public meetings and takeout cocktails for several months. Sen. Michael Rodrigues, who chairs...

Restaurant sales in Massachusetts have increased sharply since early April and surpassed their comparable 2019 levels even before Massachusetts lifted the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions, the Federal Reserve Bank said in its latest Beige Book update Wednesday. “Restaurants across Massachusetts experienced a dramatic uptick in sales in April and May, with recent revenues exceeding those in the same period…

Gov. Charlie Baker made it official early Friday afternoon: the great majority of the state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions that have shaped life in Massachusetts since last March will no longer be in effect starting Saturday. The governor said the progress of vaccinations here — 78% of adults have gotten at least one dose and more than 3.5 million people have been…

Restaurants in Massachusetts have relied heavily on outdoor dining since the coronavirus pandemic began, and that could continue after the State of Emergency ends next month. On Moody Street in Waltham, business owners are thrilled that Gov. Charlie Baker wants to extend outdoor dining through Nov. 29. “The fact that he is fighting for us to go to November, which…

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to file legislation Tuesday to extend certain COVID-19 emergency measures that are set to expire on June 15 when the State of Emergency is rescinded. The legislation proposes to extend measures providing for a temporary suspension of certain open meeting law requirements, special permits for expanded outside dining at restaurants and billing protections for…

Boston Mayor Kim Janey held a moment of silence Tuesday to mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s death and announced where millions of dollars in federal funding will go to help equitably respond to the coronavirus pandemic. She also said that the city will hold an event to remember people lost and claim space for doing racial justice work...

Restaurant owners happy to see an influx of customers as they took advantage of dining outdoors.

Boston will join Massachusetts in lifting business restrictions on May 29, Mayor Kim Janey said Tuesday. While Boston had often lagged behind the commonwealth in reopening, “COVID trends in Boston continue to move in the right direction,” including the lowest number of active COVID cases since the statistic began to be tracked, Janey said at a news conference. The mayor…

The city of Boston will reopen its public libraries to in-person visitors starting next month and increase its number of youth programs as COVID-19 cases continue to drop, Mayor Kim Janey announced Tuesday. In a press conference, Janey said the library system will re-open in June for limited in-person services, prioritizing programs to help residents recover economically and catch up…

Moody Street in Waltham will be closed to open more opportunities for outdoor dining.

Parts of Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts will be temporarily closed starting Saturday through Oct. 31 as restaurants expand for outdoor dining.

Parts of Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts, will be temporarily closed starting Saturday as restaurants expand for outdoor dining. Crews were out early Friday morning putting up barriers in preparation. Traffic and parking from High Street to Crescent and Pine streets is banned through Oct. 31. Some coronavirus restrictions are in place. Restaurants are required to provide hand sanitizer and paper menus....

Boston is following Massachusetts’ lead in reopening from COVID regulations, but with a three-week delay on many of the changes, Mayor Kim Janey announced Tuesday. Boston, like Massachusetts, will on Friday drop the requirement that people wear masks when outside and at a safe distance from others. And the city will allow public gatherings to increase in size on that…

Portland, Maine, is bringing back a program many residents, visitors and business owners liked for another year. It allows restaurants and other businesses to use parklet spaces and space on shut down streets for eating, shopping and other activities.

Beginning Monday, you can dine outdoors again in Boston — except for the North End.