Outdoor dining when itâs 34 degrees outside has been a tough sell for Bendâs brewpubs and restaurants. Patron numbers are down across the board as the colder months take hold and businesses are struggling. One group of brewers is trying to change that. Robin Clement and James Watts, Central Oregon brewpub owners, pitched their plan to boost business this week to Bend City Council members. The Council agreed to draft a letter from the city to be sent to Salem for consideration by state leaders. Following a summer of good business following the rough spring COVID-19 lockdown, many pubs in Bend are struggling again to make ends meet. A surge in cases starting last month put Deschutes County in an Extreme Risk category, which resulted in limiting bars and restaurants to outdoor seating.