Restaurants and bars could allow customers to bring their dogs to join them on the patio, under a bill that passed the House Wednesday.
Establishments including the Land-Grant Brewing Co. in Columbus have advocated for the bill. Land-Grant officials said dogs were welcome on the patio and it hosted dog-related fundraisers until it was informed that allowing the dogs was a health-code violation. It was an issue last year with some Stark County restaurants were dogs previously were welcomes but patrons complained to the Stark County Health Department.
Collin Castore, co-owner of Seventh Son Brewing in Columbus and president of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, wrote to lawmakers that on any given afternoon, up to a half-dozen people have dogs his patio. “These people are regular, relaxed, pleasant customers and it could be argued stay longer and spend slightly more dollars based on the fact that they have their canine companion with them,” he wrote. “We do not ever have issues with having dogs on our patio and not having them there would hurt our business.”
Please select this link to read the complete article from The Columbus Dispatch.