The pandemic has hit restaurants as hard as just about any other industry in Arizona. But in many ways, the state has been trying to help.
In December, Governor Doug Ducey introduced a grant program totaling $1 million to help restaurants expand their outdoor dining options in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Called the Safest Outside Restaurant Assistance Program (SORAP), it provides up to $10,000 per restaurant to expand its patio seating. Ducey also issued an executive order earlier in 2020 that temporarily reduced regulations on patio seating, allowing restaurants to expand their patio size into areas normally restricted by law, like sidewalks.