Free Equipment to Winterize Outdoor Dining Space for Open Restaurants Participants

Announced earlier this month, Open Restaurants participants are required by Tuesday, December 15 to fill their roadway seating barriers with sand or soil and enhance them with reflective tape, snow sticks, and – for some – a plastic water-filled barrier*. On select weekdays between Tuesday, November 24 and Friday, December 11, NYC's Department of Transportation (DOT) will be offering free sandbags, reflective tape, and snow sticks to all participants to help protect their barriers as they face potential damage related to slippery roads, snow removal operations, and snow piles pushing against them. Click here for a flyer from DOT with details. Click here to read updated guidelines for the Open Restaurants program's siting criteria. 

Pickup hours are 9:00am to 1:00pm on each day. Participants may pick up from any location, regardless of what borough your restaurant is in. Please wear a mask when you arrive. Questions can be submitted to: https://on.nyc.gov/2DlH4sT

The following are DOT's pickup locations by date: 

Tuesday, November 24
32-11 Harper St. (DOT Harper St. Yard), Queens

Monday, November 30 AND December 7
837 Brush Ave. (DOT Bronx Safety City), Bronx

Tuesday, December 1 AND December 8
32-11 Harper St. (DOT Harper St. Yard), Queens 

Wednesday, December 2 AND December 9
8 29th St. (DOT Facility, South Brooklyn Marine Terminal), Brooklyn

Thursday, December 3 AND December 10
South side of Delancey St. and Lewis St. (DOT Yard), Manhattan 

Friday, December 4 AND December 11
98 New Dorp Ln. (DOT Parking Lot), Staten Island

*Plastic water-filled barriers will be delivered to a limited number of restaurants who will be notified directly. For all others, pickup location(s) will be provided in a separate announcement.

Photo credit: Shutterstock/SecretNYC