Blacksburg closes portion of street for public dining area

Draper Road between College Avenue and Jackson Street is closed to traffic

BLACKSBURG, Va. – There’s a new way to eat in downtown Blacksburg.

The town closed off the portion of Draper Road between College Avenue and Jackson Street this week and put picnic tables there instead. The area is meant for socially distant eating and features signs which proclaim it as “a space for the community to gather and enjoy downtown.”

The pavilion is walking distance from several restaurants, including Benny Marzano’s. Their manager, Ryan Yeates, believes it will be an asset before and after Virginia Tech students come back.

“It’s always good to have more space and more seating,” Yeates said. “We usually have to send people away anyway when the tables fill up. Now they can come out here and eat as well.”