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With Indoor Dining Off The Table, Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds Stepping Up To Help Businesses

YUBA CITY (CBS13) — The Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds have been closed since March 16 due to the coronavirus.

Despite the venue's slow summer, they're helping local businesses in their area stay on their feet.

"This pandemic has provided the opportunity for the fairgrounds to serve the community in another way," Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds CEO Dave Dillabo said.

Dillabo decided to donate all of the fairgrounds' outdoor picnic tables -- free of charge -- to local businesses.

"If you can step up and provide a service to the community, there's not a better time than to do it now," he said.

After the second round of shutdowns, indoor dining is once again off the table in all counties across California, forcing restaurants to get creative.

READ: California Closing Again: Bars, Indoor Dining Across The State Ordered To Close

"Every little bit helps. It was just such a warm thing for him to put [the table] out there for us," said Shar Katz, owner of the Dancing Tomato Caffé. "That would allow us to properly space and socially distance each table."

Katz is hoping the additional outdoor seating will bring in more customers and more money.

The fairgrounds is no stranger to helping out during disasters like floods and fires, and they say they just wish they had more than 55 tables to give.

"I wish we had 500 of them that we could provide our community for free," Dillabo said.

Local restaurants are desperate for outdoor seating that the fairgrounds ran out of tables Monday. New requests are being placed on a list.

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