Gigi’s, a small wine bar tucked into the quaint shopping strip at Fairmount and Taylor in Cleveland Heights, allows guests to experience the romance of French dining. Now, the restaurant is taking the experience to the next level thanks to a patio addition.

The outdoor space, located directly in front of the café, will include a fenced-in patio with seating for 22 people, umbrellas and flowers adorning every corner, and old-fashioned string lights that complete the ambiance.

Gigi’s opened its doors last November and has enjoyed great success as Gia Ilijasic and her husband James Patsch, the entrepreneurs behind the restaurant, knew they would. The restaurant opened as “a passion for both of us [that] turned into a business," says Patsch. That's evident the moment you walk through the door and see the attention to detail, delightful atmosphere, and passion for dining and entertaining that the owners possess.

That passion now flows outdoors onto the front the patio. The tiny interior and general lack of patio seating in town led the couple to start work on the project. As soon as weather becomes consistently warm, the owners intend to host live entertainment outdoors and possibly include a Jeni’s ice cream cart.

To play off the new patio, the owners hope to launch Friday Frolic, a community development program that involves keeping the shops of this tight-knit strip open later one Friday per month to increase foot traffic.

The energetic couple also is devoted to helping the community. Gia and Jim have created a program to raise money for nonprofit causes dubbed Magnificent Mondays. Each Monday in a given month, the cafe will donate 10 percent of its gross income to a selected charity. “Instead of just giving out small amounts to local charities, why don’t we pick a month and let our presence create an impact on the community in a much larger way," Patsch explains.

The warm welcomes start early at this neighborhood gem, like the pink lettering on the front door that reads, "Hello Gorgeous."

“Gia and I want everyone to feel like a superstar and to be received with love as soon as they walk in," Patsch beams with pride.