Old Colorado City Alfresco kicks off Friday to support local businesses

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Pilot program “OCC Alfresco”, launches in Old Colorado City (OCC) Friday, Dec. 18 as a half-block of 25^th Street will close to vehicular traffic through the end of March 2021 to extend outdoor dining opportunities to adjacent restaurants and support surrounding retail businesses. 

The closure of  25^th Street between Colorado and Pikes Peak avenues will expand outdoor dining for Vino Colorado Winery at the Sweet Elephant and Mother Muff’s Kitchen & Spirits. Contact participating businesses for days and hours of operation. Patrons must be seated by the host of the restaurant and walk-up reservations are accepted. 

The wintertime pilot program, led by the Old Colorado City Partnership, is an OCC-wide initiative to support all OCC businesses, highlight restaurants with outdoor dining options, and encourage the community to bundle up for small business. 

“Old Colorado City offers the perfect atmosphere for outdoor dining while supporting our small businesses,” said Jonathan Neely, president of the OCC Partnership. “In an effort to help the program be successful for both businesses and their patrons, we will evaluate the program to determine the impact for businesses and opportunities to expand the program to additional streets.”

To accommodate more patrons at local restaurants and support retail establishments, the OCC Partnership worked with the City of Colorado Springs to apply for a “Revitalizing Main Streets” grant through the Colorado Department of Transportation to provide a venue for outdoor dining during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Know before you go:

·         Walk-up reservations OK. No public seating; patrons MUST check in and be seated by the restaurant host.  

·         In the event of inclement weather and changes to COVID-19 restrictions, restaurants may need to adjust service to accommodate patrons. For the most up to date hours of business operations, please call the business or visit business social media pages and websites.

·         There are curbside pick-up locations for businesses along Colorado Avenue.

 Traffic Impacts:

25^th Street between Pikes Peak and Colorado avenues will be closed to through traffic. Southbound vehicle traffic on 25^th Street will be diverted onto Pikes Peak Avenue. Northbound traffic will be diverted onto Colorado Avenue. Detour signs will be on-site to direct traffic. All parking lots and alleyways on 25th Street will remain accessible.