More bistros for Birmingham's Rail District

Downtown Birmingham is known as a dining destination. But the city's Rail District, east of Woodward, may soon be home to more restaurants.

Birmingham's City Council voted 7-0 to allow restaurants in the Rail District to apply for Class C liquor licenses. The city created the bistro license in 2007 to attract restaurants that weren't national chains. In exchange for the license, restaurants must provide a full-service kitchen, a maximum of 65 seats, outdoor dining and limited entertainment. Since the license was created, a half-dozen new eateries have opened their doors in the downtown area.

The article notes that sidewalk conditions might be the biggest hurdle to opening more restaurants in the Rail District. Many older businesses don't have sidewalks and are still using the public right-of-way to provide customer parking.

Read more here.
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