DIXON, CA (MPG) - An urgent meeting of downtown restaurant and shop owners proved to be productive this last Monday as City Manager Jim Lindley vowed to help establish a temporary outdoor dining patio in the alleyway between Healthcare IS and Dawson’s.

Jill Orr, owner of Dawson’s and City Councilman Devon Minnema organized the meeting after discussing the potential collapse of the Dixon restaurants as they go into another shutdown called by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Orr admitted that she could have “knocked down the fences” surrounding the Pardi Market site after learning her restaurant would not be able to serve indoors or serve alcohol for another three weeks and possibly more.

“I have strawberries rotting in our refrigerator because there was no notice and I am losing thousands of dollars in food and operating costs. I have to have a place to serve our customers or I won’t have customers,” she said.

She knew if the city would be able to open up the Pardi site, then all the restaurants in the downtown core could set up tables and chairs plus umbrellas similar to what is being done in Davis and Winters.

“We needed a meeting to get everybody’s ideas and do this collectively,” she said. Several downtown restaurants already had sidewalk patio sets but with the spacing requirements, none can do more than one-third of their capacity.

“It is hard enough to bring a new kind of food and sell a new concept of healthier eating into Dixon and then have all these restrictions,” Rosa B. from Rosemary’s said. “You text all your friends but having a slow day after a slow day after a slow day, is really hard.”

Lindley knew it wouldn’t be feasible to try to close Highway 113 or even A Street due to the traffic routes and the fire department’s access. The alley way behind Dawson’s was brought up. All came to the agreement that for now, it was the best choice.

Ferguson Allery will be power cleaned and sanitized and the group of about 10 people will start to work immediately to transform the area behind Rosemary’s, Bangkok Garden and Dawson’s but all the restaurants can benefit because people will have a clean and comfortable place to go out to eat. As the consensus formed, enthusiasm grew from Larry Burkhardt, Economic Development/Grants Manager who said the city had just hired a PR firm.

“This could be a good inaugural project to get behind,” he said. City Manager Lindley invited all to go on a field trip to see where they were talking about, so the group went outside and started mapping out ideas for lights and planter boxes.

“I think people would really like it,” said Rosa B. “They like to be downtown.”