The weather is warming up and outdoor dining is officially back for dozens of restaurants.

Stamford Downtown has welcomed back the experience that they are calling "StrEATeries" - or large outdoor dining patios.

The city says more than half of the 100 restaurants downtown are participating, and in total, they can accommodate more than 1,000 people.

After Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed a bill to extend outdoor dining for another 13 months in the state, restaurants say they continue to experience an uptick in business after they were hit hard during the early days of the pandemic.

"It's allowed them to stay open and we've seen restaurant closures throughout the country...We've only seen two closures here and almost a dozen openings," said David Kooris, president of Stamford Downtown.

The parking lot between Bedford and Forest streets will be closed for the season.

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