Outside dining is bolstering sales at downtown restaurants here, to the point that a co-owner of one new establishment says open-air seating was a critical factor in deciding on the eaterys location.


That restaurateur, Deb Green, who owns Madeleines Caf & Patisserie with her daughter, Megan Poffenroth, says the availability of outdoor tables was a major selling point in the selection of the former site of the Cucina Cucina Italian Caf, at 707 W. Main in the Crescent Court building, for the French eatery.


We leased it particularly for outdoor dining, she says. Its pretty much free space.


The 2,400-square-foot indoor area has seating for 48 people. The sidewalk outdoor dining area adds seating for 40 more.


You pay for a permit every year, and just provide tables, chairs, and a fence, Green says.


She figures the new restaurant can recoup those expenses in a single day during the weekend of Hoopfest on June 30 and July 1. Madeleines is adding awnings, umbrellas, and gas heat lamps to help extend the outdoor dining season into the fall, and will bring the outside in by opening French doors to allow access between the sidewalk seating area and the dining room.


Having seasonal outdoor seating is a big part, Green says. People love alfresco dining downtown.


William Webster, owner and chef at Isabellas Restaurant & Gin Joint, at 21 W. Main, believes that seating for up to 40 people in front of his establishment should add 20 percent to sales during the peak season. Hes planning to add nearly 100 more outdoor seats in a courtyard and a rooftop area being readied for a summer opening.


When summer hits in full force, he anticipates the outdoor seating will encourage lunch and dinner customers to come early so they have a better chance at an open outside table.


The restaurant has inside seating for 165 people, but more people want to be out there than want to be inside, he says.


Webster saw firsthand proof of that during the heat wave the last week of May.


Outside seating is the first thing that fills up, he said on June 1. From 6 p.m. on, the outside is gone. Last night, we were completely full outside, and nobody was in the bar.


Outside customers tend to stay longer and to order an extra glass of wine or an extra cocktail, he says.


Webster was inspired to make outside seating a priority after seeing how successful such seating has been for the Elk Public House, in Brownes Addition. The Elk, at 1931 W. Pacific, has 11 courtyard tables that provide 75 seats, a 50 percent addition to its inside seating of about 150.


Marshall Powell, that restaurants general manager, says the Elk adds about 30 shifts a week in the summer to bring its food-server and bartending staff to about 72 shifts a week.


Under warm, clear weather conditions, the outside tables fill up first. On Fridays, weekends, and holidays, theyre full from opening to closing time, he says.


People are more relaxed in an outdoor setting, Powell says.


It gets busy and loud inside, but when you walk outside, its nice and warm and mellow, he says. Mellow people linger longer, he says, adding, They tend to camp out.


Powell hasnt noticed differences in food preferences between inside and outside diners, but on hot days, when outside dining is most popular, we sell more margaritas and other drinks, he says.


Open-air seating provides an urban outdoor flavor that encourages people to come to the downtown and its environs, says Marty Dickinson, president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership, a nonprofit agency that promotes economic development in the heart of the city.


Outside dining adds another whole element to the downtown streetscapes, Dickinson says. It brings activity to the core of town.


The warm weather also brings out people who want to do more than just dine; some will combine a patio meal with a show, a play, or a symphony performance, she says.


It helps turn going downtown into a six-hour experience, Dickinson says.


Dickinson says the Downtown Spokane Partnership encourages restaurants to provide outside seating and helps restaurant owners navigate through the permitting process when they seek to provide outside dining on the sidewalk. It provided such help to Deb Green and her daughter at Madeleines.


Sidewalk seating in Spokane is regulated by the citys engineering services.


Eldon Brown, a principal engineer in that department, says the annual sidewalk caf permit fee is $250 regardless of how many seats a sidewalk space includes, and the city requires that a walkway of at least six feet remain clear for pedestrian traffic.


First-time applications go through a public hearing process, but once permits have been approved, they can be renewed on an annual basis without a hearing.


Sandy Decker, office manager at engineering services, says the number of sidewalk caf permits has remained steady at 10 or 11 in recent years, with the exception of a spike of up to 16 permits in 2005, when the Downtown Spokane Partnership had an emphasis program to increase opportunities for outside dining.


Decker says she hasnt heard specific reasons why the permit number dipped back to the previous level last year.


I think a couple that didnt renew were coffee shops that went out of business, she says.


In cases in which restaurants are able to add several outside tables, a sidewalk caf permit may be an economical way to increase prime seating, Decker says, although for smaller establishments, such as coffee shops with one or two tables, it might not be cost-effective.


The city has issued 10 permits for outside seating so far for 2007, although more may still be sought.


If we see a place that has sidewalk seating without a permit, we contact them and let them know that a permit is required, Decker says.


The biggest thing we look for is to make sure they have enough clear space on the sidewalk for pedestrian and wheelchair access, she says.


Brown says hes seen few compliance problems with the sidewalk caf ordinance.


For the most part, people do a good job, he says. From the citys end, its great for businesses to be able to expand and have seating so people can enjoy it outside.


Weather permitting, Malcolm Huffman and Ken Belisle, managing partner of Spokane-based Landmark Restaurants Inc., which operates the Onion, Italian Kitchen, and Franks Diner, meet on Fridays to partake in the outside atmosphere at various downtown restaurants, getting together at about 3 or 4 p.m. and stay for two or three hours.


Its a great way to end the work week, Huffman says as the two enjoyed an appetizer and a drink at a table in front of Isabellas earlier this month.


Whats not to love in Spokane? said Belisle. As clouds gave way to afternoon sun, he added, You get this 90 days a year.


Huffman says Isabellas is a comfortable place to go on a Friday afternoon, but Belisle adds that things werent always that way. Ten years ago, you couldnt sit out here in this part of town, he says. Now its a vibrant and exciting place for all of us.


He adds, A lot of cities have lost their downtowns. Spokane is going the other direction. Its nice Spokane is leading, not following.


Contact Mike McLean at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at mikem@spokanejournal.com.