New York City updates COVID-19 outdoor dining rules
Outdoor eating in New York City will continue, but under new requirements announced Friday. Credit: Craig Ruttle
New York City on Friday released final rules governing outdoor dining, a program that began as a lifeline to eateries during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic but continued as a popular way to eat and drink alfresco.
Under the rules, outdoor dining in a road will be restricted to between April 1 to Nov. 29, but sidewalk dining will be allowed year-round.
Dining structures are no longer allowed to be fully enclosed and must be accessible to the disabled. Depending on a structure's location, there are size limits. And structures must allow for drainage and other features.
The rules, which are similar to a draft proposed last year, set rates eateries must pay: a license for four years is $1,050. Eateries can apply beginning next month.
“A transformative effort to reimagine our streetscape and support our small businesses at the same time, Dining Out NYC will create inviting, vibrant, attractive, and safe outdoor dining setups that work for restaurants and work for New York City,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a news release. “We can’t wait to see the whole city dining al fresco in style this summer.”
Before the pandemic, outdoor dining was allowed only on sidewalks and required a bureaucratic application process subject to the whims, and vetoes, of community boards. But with government-ordered restrictions in place due to social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio loosened those rules, allowing setups on sidewalks and parking spots to flourish. The program has since become the largest in the nation, the release said.
The new rules will mean a more standard design for the structures, with regulations covering features big and small (such as no rugs or artificial turf) and restrictions on lighting (must be outdoor-rated).
There are also time limits: 8 a.m. to midnight, with Sundays starting at 10 a.m. A draft proposal had proposed to allow operation until 1 a.m. on some weekend nights.
New York City on Friday released final rules governing outdoor dining, a program that began as a lifeline to eateries during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic but continued as a popular way to eat and drink alfresco.
Under the rules, outdoor dining in a road will be restricted to between April 1 to Nov. 29, but sidewalk dining will be allowed year-round.
Dining structures are no longer allowed to be fully enclosed and must be accessible to the disabled. Depending on a structure's location, there are size limits. And structures must allow for drainage and other features.
The rules, which are similar to a draft proposed last year, set rates eateries must pay: a license for four years is $1,050. Eateries can apply beginning next month.
“A transformative effort to reimagine our streetscape and support our small businesses at the same time, Dining Out NYC will create inviting, vibrant, attractive, and safe outdoor dining setups that work for restaurants and work for New York City,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a news release. “We can’t wait to see the whole city dining al fresco in style this summer.”
Before the pandemic, outdoor dining was allowed only on sidewalks and required a bureaucratic application process subject to the whims, and vetoes, of community boards. But with government-ordered restrictions in place due to social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio loosened those rules, allowing setups on sidewalks and parking spots to flourish. The program has since become the largest in the nation, the release said.
The new rules will mean a more standard design for the structures, with regulations covering features big and small (such as no rugs or artificial turf) and restrictions on lighting (must be outdoor-rated).
There are also time limits: 8 a.m. to midnight, with Sundays starting at 10 a.m. A draft proposal had proposed to allow operation until 1 a.m. on some weekend nights.
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
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