GARDEN GROVE City Hall (OC Tribune photo).

The City of Garden Grove is expanding its assistance to local businesses by waiving all fees to restaurants applying for temporary outdoor dining permits, with plans to also offer no-fee temporary outdoor permits to other business sectors when allowed by state health and safety guidelines.

The actions are in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s July 13 expanded order intended to curb the state’s rising COVID-19 cases by requiring immediate statewide closures of all indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, and others, as well as immediate Southern California closures of all indoor activities for gyms, places of worship, and nail and hair salons, among others.

“We understand and support that serious times call for serious measures when it comes to protecting public health and safety. Garden Grove is also looking out for the livelihood of struggling, local businesses by extending an even greater helping hand when it’s most needed,” said Garden Grove City Manager Scott Stiles.

Under the city’s newly-branded Accessible Businesses program (formerly Accessible Eateries), Garden Grove restaurants can apply for no-fee, 60-day outdoor permits to create dining areas onto adjacent sidewalks or street parking, within a shopping center, or in privately-owned parking lots. Restaurants that previously received, or are currently applying for outdoor permits and paid a $150 permit fee, will be refunded the fee amount.

Also under the Accessible Businesses program, the city will offer no-fee temporary outdoor permits to other service-related businesses and institutional uses once state safety guidance for the outdoor operation of these sectors becomes available.

“The City’s Office of Economic Development is also working closely with our Downtown Business Association on exploring immediate possibilities for expanded dining along Historic Main Street through the addition of parklets,” said Garden Grove Assistant City Manager and Community and Economic Development Director Lisa Kim.

The online application for the Accessible Businesses program is available at ggcity.org/businesses.  For more information, contact the city’s planning division at (714) 741-5312, or email planning@ggcity.org.

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