Al fresco dining has been launched in Enfield Town to help support local businesses to welcome customers in a fun and safe outdoor environment.

Enfield Council has helped three businesses to expand onto the area known as Fountain Island. This in turn will help increase footfall to the town centre and support the wider local economy in its recovery and renewal.

Gooey Waffle, Bonito Café and The Art Town all feature on this exciting new mini-plaza. The scheme includes the loan of furniture and equipment to the businesses and the assembly of safety features and attractive planting.

Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan visited the three businesses (Friday, 9 July) to witness for herself how they have embraced the new opportunity to expand their customer-base.

Cllr Caliskan said: “Enfield Council has been extremely proactive in facilitating outdoor trading opportunities and helping businesses reopen safely so they can grow and prosper. This is just the start – we will continue to look at ways to enhance business opportunities and implement wider improvements to the environment which will in turn encourage more customers to our town centres and high streets.”

Last year a new, temporary Pavement Licence regime was implemented following the government initiative to support the hospitality sector which has faced several challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, Enfield Council has awarded 60 businesses with these new pavement licences since they were introduced in 2020, including to the Fountain Island businesses.

Further trader support implemented by the Council has come from other grants including the government’s Additional Restrictions Grant. In total, Enfield Council has issued more than 15,000 grants to 2,328 Enfield businesses, totaling £29,975,904.

Enfield Council is exploring further opportunities in other town centres including outdoor trading in Southgate and Palmers Green and initiatives to help high street businesses throughout the borough improve their shopfronts, add greenery and purchase outdoor trading equipment.

In another boost to the local economy, the Council has announced its street food and culture festival, A Month of Sundays, that will take place on every Sunday in August. The festival is free to attend and will feature hundreds of food businesses as well as performers and entertainers from across Enfield. For more information visit: https://amonthofsundaysenfield.co.uk/.