City of Orillia See You On The Patio Program

Welcome to the City of Orillia's 2021 #SeeYouOnThePatio program!

Launched in 2020, the program is a City-wide initiative that provides Orillia businesses and residents a safe way to dine outside while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

The See You on the Patio program launched on Friday, June 11 when outdoor dining was permitted to reopen. The program highlights restaurants throughout the city which offer open air dining, through a promotional campaign, animation program and summer street closure on Fridays and Saturdays in the downtown core from July 2 to September 4, 2021.

As conditions allow, the #SeeYouOnThePatio program features live performances, street closures, late night shopping, and more.

 

 General Public Information
The See You on the Patio program is designed to provide residents a safe, outdoor opportunity to dine and support local businesses. The program consists of five elements:
  1. Promotional campaign highlighting local dining and take-out options.
  2. A streamlined patio process, which will allow more restaurants to feature and use outdoor dining space.
  3. A downtown street closure, which took place Friday and Saturday evenings from 5-11 p.m. from July 2 to September 4, 2021. For further details, read the news release about the downtown street closure.
  4. Late-night shopping during downtown street closures.
  5. A municipally funded animation program, which featured artists and musicians performing on Orillia patios. As a result of the new provincial Roadmap to Reopening, the program start date was moved to July 9, 2021 and ran until September 3, 2021.
Orillia-Area Restaurants

The Orillia area has many great restaurants, cafes, bakeries, takeout dining, and beyond!

Discover local restaurants with the Eat and Drink list from Orillia & Lake Country Tourism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are reservations required to enjoy local patios?
Visitors are encouraged to make reservations in advance. While not all restaurants will accept reservations, most restaurants will accommodate reservations, and some restaurants in the downtown core have coordinated seating times in order to accommodate the large volume of visitors during the street closures. Reservations also reduce crowding at restaurant entrances and ensure that you are not disappointed when you arrive. 
When are restaurant patios open for the season?
This depends on the type of patio. Permanent patios (patios that are in place year round) may open any time. Seasonal patios (temporary patios that are placed during nice weather) may open as early as April 1 and may remain in place until November 15. Businesses are required to get municipal approval, and other factors such as weather, staffing requirements and Provincial COVID-19 guidelines must also be considered. It is best to contact the restaurant of your choice in advance to ensure their patio is open. 
What if I don't feel comfortable dining out?
Most Orillia-area restaurants offer take-out options. You are encouraged to support local restaurants by ordering take-out and/or delivery. There are several food delivery services that operate within the Orillia area. Please keep in mind that delivery services do charge local restaurants a fee so picking up your food is a great option to enjoy take-out while minimizing costs to local restaurateurs. 
What if we move into a different Step under the Roadmap to Reopen?
The City will be carefully following the COVID-19 Roadmap to Reopen and has a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place for the See You On The Patio Program. Be sure to follow the City of Orillia on Facebook and Twitter to ensure that you receive any time-sensitive updates related to the See You on the Patio Program.
See You on the Patio Feedback Survey

Two surveys were launched to gather feedback about the 2021 City-wide See You on the Patio program: one survey for visitors, and one survey for businesses. 

The surveys were active until Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 at noon.
#OrilliaFoodiesUnite

 

# Orillia Foodies Unite. Take a photo of your favourite meal at any Orillia-area restaurant. Use the hashtag #OrilliaFoodiesUnite and ensure your settings for the post are set to public. A winner will be announced in October. Orillia.ca/PatioCalling all Foodies!

The City of Orillia Economic Recovery Task Force called upon foodies in the Orillia area to unite to support local restaurants by taking part in an online contest by posting photos of the local meals they love!

To enter, the community was encouraged to post a photo of their favourite meal on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #OrilliaFoodiesUnite for a chance to win a Shop Local prize pack valued at more than $500.

The Orillia Foodies Unite online contest ran from June 7 through Sept. 27, 2021. Photos of food throughout Orillia and Lake Country (Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Severn, Rama and Ramara) are eligible and entrants may post multiple entries by using the hashtag #OrilliaFoodiesUnite.

The winner was randomly selected in a draw on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021 at the City of Orillia City Centre.

Read the Orillia Foodies Unite News Release.

 
Patio Permit Application
Visit the See You on the Patio Information for Businesses webpage for more information for businesses.
COVID-19 Safety Plan

All participating businesses and performers are required to following the Provincial and Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit COVID-19 Guidelines. This includes measures related to table and seating spacing, social distancing, wearing of masks and personal protective equipment, screening of customers, and more. 

If you're visiting a local business or the downtown street closure, please be advised that you will need to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines. This includes wearing a mask in public and indoor areas (except when seated at a restaurant table), social distancing from others, participating in restaurant and business screening, and ensuring that you're staying home if you're experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms. To assist with sanitization practices, sanitization stations, which include hand sanitizer, will be placed along Mississaga Street during Friday night street closures. 

Your adherence to these safety guidelines ensures the safety of you, our community and our businesses and ensures that programs like the See You on the Patio program can be delivered safely for the enjoyment of all.

For self assessment and safety guidelines and more visit the Provincial COVID-19 webpage.  

 

Updated June 28, 2021

View the City of Orillia's See You on the Patio Program COVID-19 Safety Plan:

 

See You on the Patio COVID-19 Safety Plan as of June 28, 2021

Contact(s)