The city of Santa Clarita is thrilled to be assisting restaurants in expanding their services outdoors as a part of the Eat Local Program.

Beginning Friday, July 17, select restaurants along the west side of Main Street between Market and 6th Street in Newhall will be extending their dining services into the sidewalks and street.

The area between Market and 6th Street will be shut down from approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday – 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, with this schedule intended to continue on weekends through August. In addition, the City is pleased to also offer the Shop Local Program, which now allows businesses to expand offerings into private sidewalks, common areas and parking spaces.

Shopping and eating locally can be done so safely and conveniently. Local businesses need our help more than ever, so the City is stepping up to provide creative and flexible ways to continue business operations while following safety guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Friday’s block closure on Main Street will allow several local restaurants to expand their outdoor dining capacity – including Smokehouse on Main, Newhall Press Room and Old Town Junction. Each restaurant is set-up with water-filled k-rails to operate into the expanded area. Additional restaurants along Main Street in Old Town Newhall are in the process of completing plans for similar outdoor seating set-ups.

Along with the Eat Local Program, businesses may also expand their services outdoors through the Shop Local Program. The city of Santa Clarita’s Planning Division will be issuing Temporary Use Permits to allow businesses that are not able to operate within their buildings, per the Health orders, to expand out on to private sidewalks, common areas and parking spaces at no charge to the businesses. The permits will be reviewed by Planning, Traffic and Building and Safety, similar to restaurants, with the goal being to issue the same day. The City is fortunate to have issued 22 Temporary Use Permits to restaurants in our community since the Eat Local Program’s inception. Now businesses can look forward to the same assistance and flexibility. These permits for expanded outdoor activity are NO COST to the business.

To learn more about the expansion of restaurant dining services along Main Street, please contact Arts and Events Manager, Phil Lantis, at plantis@santa-clarita.com.

For additional information on the Shop Local and Eat Local Programs, please contact Planning and Economic Development Manager, Jason Crawford, at jcrawford@santa-clarita.com.