City hall wants the CafeTO program to stay – for good.

City Council unanimously approved such a recommendation contained in a staff report.

First established in the summer of 2020 as temporary assistance for struggling restaurants and bars, CafeTO was expanded this past summer, allowing over 1,200 to set up sidewalk and curb lane patios.

It will be back next year and then made permanent sometime in 2023 with the creation of a ”streamlined” registration process so businesses can run expanded patios year-round without having to reapply.

”This has saved businesses. It saves a lot of businesses,” Mayor John Tory said before council’s vote.

Staff will now be asked to take several concerns into consideration in coming up with a permanent CafeTO program, including the impact on congestion and transit, the movement of goods and impact on road maintenance.