Palm Desert Bar to Lose Popular Outdoor Dining Deck Over City Requirement

A popular outdoor dining deck that has become a signature feature of Little Bar in Palm Desert is set to be removed, leaving the business owner disappointed and longtime customers nostalgic.

For years, the outdoor deck has served as a gathering place for patrons and an extension of the neighborhood bar's atmosphere. But owner Skip Paige says the business is now losing the space because of a city requirement he has been unable to meet.

Earlier this month, the Palm Desert City Council voted to extend its pandemic-era dining deck program for another year. The program allows businesses to continue operating outdoor dining decks on public or private property, provided property owners agree to accept liability for the structures.

Palm Desert Mayor Evan Trubee said the city supports outdoor dining options but must also ensure liability requirements are met under the program.

Paige says the deck has become an important part of Little Bar's identity and has helped provide additional space for customers to gather. According to Paige, he offered to indemnify the city and pay for the parking spaces occupied by the deck. However, he says city officials still required the property's owner to sign a letter accepting responsibility for the structure.

Despite those efforts, the necessary agreement was not secured, forcing the deck's removal.

For longtime customer Gina De Maria, the loss of the dining deck feels like the end of a chapter in Little Bar's history.

Still, she says the change won't keep her away from her favorite local hangout.

City leaders say they are continuing to work toward a long-term solution that would allow businesses to maintain outdoor dining decks while complying with city regulations and liability requirements.

In the meantime, Paige says Little Bar will continue serving customers, even without the deck that helped define the business for years.