Cleveland Heights approves Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area

Your next night out in Cleveland Heights might look a little different starting next month.

Cleveland Heights City Council has unanimously approved the creation of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) for the Cedar Lee district, paving the way for more flexible dining and drinking options.

Imagine this: you order food and drinks at a restaurant but decide you want dessert from another place or simply wish to walk around with your drink.

With the new DORA, you can do just that.

This initiative, which was first discussed in April, allows patrons to carry alcoholic beverages within a specified area.

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The DORA, Cleveland Heights' first, will be operational within the next month.

Signs will be posted to indicate where beverages can be purchased, consumed and where they are prohibited.

The area will allow beer, wine, and liquor to be bought and taken into businesses without a liquor license, provided they opt in. However, drinks cannot be carried into other licensed establishments.

Destiny Burns of Cleveland Urban Winery expressed enthusiasm for the DORA.

"This gives us another tool to be able to offer something new for our customers and for new residents here in the area to bring people into the district that may not otherwise come here," she says.

Special DORA cups will be required for carrying drinks outside, and a safety plan has been developed, including monitoring and enforcement by the Cleveland Heights Police Department.

While the DORA still needs final approval from the state, the city's proactive approach suggests it is a strong possibility.

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