One-night-only outdoor dining event will close downtown Kennewick street

Kennewick is closing a section of downtown to car this weekend to open up streets for outside dining.

Dine-Out Downtown Kennewick will be 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 18, and will feature at least a half-dozen restaurants and food trucks, including Foodies Brick and Mortar, European Dessert & Appetizers by Nena and Catfish Alley Southern Style Cooking.

A number of retail shops also will be staying open late and displaying merchandise on sidewalks for the event sponsored by the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership.

Kennewick Avenue between Dayton Street and Washington Street will be closed during that time.

Stephanie Button, the partnership’s executive director told the Herald that the event is an experiment to help support downtown businesses operate under that modified Phase 1 approved for Benton and Franklin counties that allows outside seating as well as limited retail shopping if done safely.

Many shops throughout downtown, including Sassafras Children’s Boutique, the The Downtown Mercantile and Dragonfire, also will be extending their hours.

The event has been in the works since the shutdown for COVID-19, Button said. She emphasized that the mask requirement from Washington State Department of Health still must be followed.

“Wearing masks and social distancing is the most pro-business thing you can do right now,” Button said.

At least a half-dozen restaurants or food trucks will set up in the street. Button said that each eatery will set up with their own space to maintain a 50 percent outdoor seating capacity.

“We hope this will be successful,” Button said. “We are trying to be nimble and flexible. We want to find a way for other businesses owners to open as well.”

She said that not all restaurants were able to participate because of the time needed to acquire permits allowing alcohol to be served outside the establishment. Button hopes similar events can be held in the future.

For more information and full list of participants, go to historickennewick.org or the Facebook event page.