NYC’s outdoor dining to become permanent after City Council vote
Eating al fresco could soon be forever in the Big Apple — but not without a few restrictions.
Under a bill passed Thursday by the City Council, restaurants will be permitted to continue offering licensed outdoor dining in pandemic-era roadside sheds — as long as the structures are torn down by Nov. 30 and only erected again the following March 31.
It will also allow for al fresco dining on the city’s sidewalks year-round with an approved licensing permit.
“Outdoor dining is here to stay in New York City,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement hailing the bill’s passing.
The 34-11 vote came just months after Adams and the City Council finally struck a deal amid a tense battle over whether to extend the COVID-19 lifeline given to then-struggling restaurants at the start of the pandemic.
Adams has been a staunch supporter of extending the outdoor dining measures, while opponents — including neighborhood groups — vigorously sought to end the program due, in part, to the roadside structures taking up street parking, and because they were unsightly.
“The temporary program saved 100,000 jobs, kept restaurants afloat during the peak of the pandemic, and brought new energy and excitement to our streets and sidewalks,” the mayor insisted Thursday.
“But it wasn’t perfect — too many sheds were abandoned and left to rot and too few lived up to our vision of what our streets should look like.”
“This bill preserves the best parts of the temporary program and eliminates the worst. We will create a vibrant, clean, and safe streetscape; give restaurants the clarity they need to continue serving their customers; and make New York City the best outdoor dining city in the world,” he added.
The bill, sponsored by Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez, will cut down licensing costs and permit approval waiting periods, as well as open up applications to more areas across the five boroughs.
The Department of Transportation will set design guidelines for curbside structures, according to the legislation.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor dining became a lifeline for small businesses and New Yorkers seeking socialization and normalcy,” Speaker Adrienne Adams said.
“As we move from an emergency program to one under local law, this legislation strikes the right balance for restaurants, neighborhoods, and all New Yorkers.
“It allows a greater number of restaurants to continue participating, while easing the bureaucratic barriers, making the licensing costs affordable, and providing orderly and uniform regulations that were missing from the temporary program. This permanent program will serve and support our neighborhoods, restaurants, residents and city for years to come.”
The mayor is expected to sign the bill into law, though the signing date is not yet known.
