Looks like Toronto is ready for her summer glow-up! The magical city of ours is prepping for the sunshine in our favourite way – making room for patio season. As you probably know, last year’s popular CafeTO program is returning in 2021. Well, this past weekend marked the city’s beginning of all that.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past several months, let us give you a little debrief on the deal with CaféTO. Basically, it’s a way to help Toronto’s restaurants continue operating in these *ahem* difficult times. Part of the program is expanding a ton of patios into sidewalks, parking lots, and curb lanes. This allows for more room for outdoor dining, which means more customers for the restaurants AND everyone is a little safer and happier. Pretty great, right?

Related Posts: 
Everything to know about the new bridges transforming Toronto’s waterfront (PHOTOS)
You can stay in a floating “wine barrel” on the water at this Ontario Airbnb

Well, this summer the program is coming back! Sure, we’re stuck in lockdown at the moment and no one can attend a restaurant (indoor or outdoor) just yet. But the city is looking ahead to better days and preparing for them accordingly.

In fact, the first of more than 1,000 CaféTO installations actually began over the weekend! Installations are set to continue into the new few weeks. This means that the second health restrictions allow it, restaurants will be able to open their doors.

Of course, if you know a restaurant that hasn’t registered for CaféTO yet, it is not too late. The city is still accepting applications, which you can learn more about right here.

We can’t wait for summertime in Toronto! This weekend’s development toward patio season makes the sunshine feel that much closer.