College Park has expanded outdoor dining in several restaurants by converting 100 feet of parking area into full-service patios. | Pixabay
College Park has expanded outdoor dining in several restaurants by converting 100 feet of parking area into full-service patios. | Pixabay
College Park has expanded outdoor dining in several restaurants by converting 100 feet of parking area into full-service patios.
The Main Street area of College Park has several thriving restaurants, several of which converted parking areas into dining spaces under the 'College Parklet' initiative, according to Eater Atlanta.
"Parklets designed to last more than a couple of months typically cost anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or more," Emily Chan told Eater Atlanta in March. "This grant is a game changer for our business, allowing safe dining outside."
The city extended the sidewalk in front of Virgil's Gullah Kitchen and Bar, Real Milk and Honey, and Johhny's Chicken and Waffles, three of the most popular restaurants in the area, according to Eater Atlanta.
The vice-chair of the College Park Main Street Association, Grace McPhillips, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that both private and public funds had funded the project.
The community contributed $25,000 and the association donated $15,000, according to AJC.
College Park’s Main Street manager, Renée Coakley, told AJC that the parklets were seen as a temporary solution, but now it seems that they are likely to become permanent.
Parklets have been popular around the country in recent years, AJC reported. Atlanta installed them in 2017 under its placemaking program and currently has 12, with four more planned, AJC said.
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