Outdoor Dining Extended Year-Round

On Friday, September 25, Mayor de Blasio announced that the Open Restaurant Program, which includes sidewalk and roadway outdoor dining, will be made permanent and that outdoor dining can occur year-round in New York City.

Restaurants will be able to expand seating to the frontage of adjacent properties, as long as the adjacent property owners formally agree to the use of the space for a specified period of time and a commitment not to charge a fee for its use. The City will be coming out with stronger guidance on this, and DOT will be issuing application forms that will need to be filled out to expand to the adjacent space. 

Restaurants will also be allowed to set up electrical heaters on both sidewalks and roadways. Propane and natural gas heaters will be allowed on sidewalks only. More guidance on heaters will be released soon. 

And, restaurants will be permitted to use tent enclosures to keep diners warm. In partial tent enclosures, at least 50% of the tent's side wall surface area must remain open and electrical heaters are allowed. In full tent enclosures, the tent's side walls may be closed but occupancy limitations will be capped at 25% of capacity, and indoor dining guidelines must be followed; electrical heaters will also be allowed. Enclosed structures, such as plastic domes, will be allowed for individual parties and must have adequate ventilation to allow for air circulation.

Click here to read the press release. 

Photo credit: Elena Olivo