GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Great Lakes News) – Restaurants in Grand Rapids are removing outdoor seating put in place during the pandemic.

The outdoor seating set up last winter stemmed from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “three week pause” she implemented in November 2020 to curb coronavirus cases. Restaurants faced the brunt of that executive order for many months, with take-out only orders and limited capacity seating restrictions continuing for restaurants and bars until July.

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Outdoor seating in Michigan’s winter months resembled ice shanties.

The city commission in Grand Rapids voted last month to extend social districts for another year, but outdoor seating areas disappeared over the weekend.

Some businesses told the city they had to remove the outdoor seating because they did not have the staffing for both inside and outside service.