Mr Symons' group Good Times Only owns Dagwood, as well as Births and Deaths, Howlin Wolf and The Prince.

The group has taken advantage of Wollongong City Council's decision to waive outdoor dining fees in July 2021 as part of a suite of COVID 19 measures.

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They have expanded the outdoor space at Dagwood and Births and Deaths, and also have approval to do so at The Prince.

Mr Symons said the move by council made a difference.

"In a time where every cent counts especially over the last two years, it's been fantastic for them to help," Mr Symons said.

"Right now we're back to trading as per pre-COVID numbers and bookings but we're still trying to recover from the financial hit that was two years of trade and having to take out loans that we have to pay back.

"Every butt on every seat helps."

At Monday night's council meeting, councillors will consider a recommendation to extend the waiver on outdoor dining fees through to June 30 next year.

"Noting that businesses continue to recover from external factors, including the inclement weather in recent times, the extension to the fee waiver proposed seeks to support businesses through this recovery period," the council business paper stated.

The papers also noted a rise in outdoor dining approvals since the pandemic.

There were 30 approvals - for both new outdoor areas and expansions of existing spaces - over the last year, compared to 17 approvals issued in 2019.

"There are several factors influencing the increased take up of outdoor dining in the Wollongong LGA, however a significant factor is the waiver of the fees over the last 12 months," the papers stated.

Business Illawarra was one of the groups that lobbied council to come up with measures to encourage al fresco dining.

The group's executive director Adam Zarth was in full support of the councils' proposal to extend the waiver of fees.

"We worked closely with our members in hospitality and events, to encourage council to do all it could to bring about an 'alfresco dining revolution' in Wollongong as we emerged from the pandemic late last year, which has had the significant added benefit of bringing back our city's much-needed vibrancy," Mr Zarth said.

"Our hospitality and events sectors will need support for some time to come, and so we hope to see all councillors support the motion to extend the fee waiver at Monday's meeting."

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