Designated outdoor refreshment area
What is the D.O.R.A.?
D.O.R.A. stands for Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, and it refers to Ohio Revised Code 4301.82, which allows for communities to create these areas for whatever purposes they deem necessary. The City of Worthington has had a successfully established DORA in its historic district for 4 years and is now conducting a pilot program to expand the hours and footprint of its established DORA. The changes will begin July 1, 2021, and will be put in place for a 90-day pilot period then evaluated to determine if the changes will be made permanent.
The City conducted extensive outreach to surrounding neighbors and businesses to collect feedback about the proposed pilot program. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive for moving forward with the changes. City Council discussed the proposal during a public hearing at its June 7, 2021 meeting and approved the pilot to include:
Expanded hours to every day between 11am and 10pm
Expanded area to include the new Chapala Mexican restaurant expected to open this fall at the corner of High and South Streets.
Individuals will be allowed to walk within the DORA boundaries with an alcoholic beverage purchased from a liquor permit holding establishment. The DORA will include the High Street corridor between South Village Green Drive and just south of South Street (to include the new yet-to-open Chupala Restaurant) and east/west boundaries along New England Avenue from 26 E. New England to 41 W. New England.
More information and the text of the ordinance can be found on the City's website.
