Downtown Duluth Looking to Get In on Outdoor Dining
Options are increasing for summer outdoor dining in the Waterfront District as a part of the ongoing effort to revitalize downtown
DULUTH, Minn. — In the summertime, tourists flock to Duluth for the Lake Superior views and endless outdoor activities. They also begin to fill up restaurant patios, milling around the popular Canal Park and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.
The nonprofit Downtown Duluth is looking to get Superior Street and the rest of the Waterfront District in on the fun.
“Much of what we like to do is encourage our businesses to do more things to bring people out to the street and bring the street in to your business,” said Downtown Duluth President Kristi Stokes. “Patios are a perfect example of that. It just brings more life out onto the sidewalk. It makes it feel more fun and on a beautiful day like today, who wouldn’t want to be outside?”
Lyric Kitchen and Bar is just one of the restaurants downtown offering outdoor seating.
“It has only been open for a couple weeks but we’re super excited to have it,” said Lyric’s Food & Beverage Director. “We started talking about it awhile ago, we wanted to be a part of the revitalization of Downtown Duluth and we thought adding a patio like several other restaurants have done would be an excellent idea.”
Patios are just one way to that Downtown Duluth is looking to give the area a new life. Superior Street shops and other businesses are getting involved in their own ways too.
“For us, it’s super important just to activate spaces in our downtown,” Stokes said. “When you activate spaces, it feels safer, there’s more people around, it just feels more vibrant. Patios are a great way to do that.”
“We’ve encouraged businesses to do more with their storefronts to really improve them and add lighting. These are all examples of way to make it a better downtown and a better experience downtown.”
Along with its new outdoor seating, Lyric Kitchen and Bar collaborated with Minnesotan artist Anne Labovitz. Her mural, “North Shore Blue Horizon,” draws inspiration from Lake Superior and brings color to downtown.
“We’re all doing our part to kind of make it more of a fun, inviting place to go and addressing issues when they come up quickly,” Johnson said. “Just making sure that it’s a positive experience for customers whether they are dining here or somewhere else. I think all restaurants are really trying to make a positive impact in Downtown Duluth and they’re all doing a really excellent job at that.”
Several other Superior Street businesses are getting ready to offer outdoor seating. Duluth Coffee Company, Blacklist Brewing Co., and Black Water Lounge all had spots sectioned off, ready for customers.
