ST. PETERSBURG — The City of St. Pete will no longer allow restaurants to keep tables in parking spaces, effective October 18.

According to Ben Kirby, a spokesman for the city, the concrete barriers stamped ‘Restart St. Pete’ will be removed later this month. Those barriers were placed in front of nearly two dozen restaurants last year to allow for more outdoor seating amid the pandemic.

Businesses were informed last week that the program would end mid-October and they would need to remove their tables.

The city sent surveys to 914 downtown business owners in July asking their opinions on the street-side tables. They received 18 responses and Kirby said 61% of those businesses were unhappy with tables cutting into parking. 

Bandit Coffee on Central Avenue started a change.org petition in an effort to get the city to reconsider. The top of their petition states “The city did not ask or poll small businesses or citizens for feedback regarding this measure. This is our chance to let them know how we feel.”

The owner of The Lure, also located on Central Avenue, said the city didn’t ask them for their opinion either. Or if they did, they never saw the email or notice. 

“Just having less seats for people will definitely hurt our business a little bit. I mean I’ve been appreciative of what we have here,” said owner Tom Golden. 

Kirby said the city is considering a long-term solution, but it wouldn’t include the concrete barriers.

“We are currently working on a proposal for a long term, permanent program, which will involve establishing minimum design standards, annual permit fees and  locational criteria,” he wrote in an email to Spectrum Bay News 9.  

That’s something Golden says he would definitely consider and he understands why some businesses want additional parking spaces back. 

“There’s always the other side of the coin on every situation and theres one on this one,” he said. 

Tables are still permitted on the sidewalk in different areas of downtown.