Early September snowfall gives Colorado restaurants peek into winter patio dining

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A summer snowstorm in Colorado ushers in a slew of empty outdoor dining tables. It's a preview of what's to come and the potential ramifications restaurants may face as we move into the fall/winter season.

Alexea Veneracion, Communications Manager with VisitCOS, says "Restaurants did fairly well throughout the summer with extended patio and outdoor dining. So we are going to be looking into how that’s going to shape up heading into the fall and winter."

Veneracion clarifies that Colorado Springs' Tourist Information Center is working on campaigns to support local restaurants throughout the fall and winter while getting people to try things they haven't before.

The Communications Manager adds, "We are expecting it to possibly slow down a little bit with patio season coming to an end. But over the summer it was pretty great. And the dining out downtown was pretty successful."

While restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19, the early snowfall adds extra pressure, making it more difficult for customers to dine-out outdoors.