Restaurants: Are You Ready for Outdoor Dining NYC?

Restaurants that provide outdoor seating must stay abreast of the City’s new requirements, created and enforced by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). To participate in Dining Out NYC, there are three important dates to keep in mind:

June 17 – Dining Out NYC Webinar
On Monday, June 17, at 12:00pm, DOT will host a webinar that provides an overview of the Dining Out NYC program, followed by a Q&A session. Register for the Zoom event here.

August 3 – Deadline to Apply to Dining Out NYC
Deadline for food service establishments with existing temporary outdoor dining setups to apply to continue operating until NYC DOT approves the application.

November 1 – Latest Date for Compliance
A temporary program outdoor dining setup that applied before August 3, 2024 must comply with the new Dining Out NYC design requirements by the earlier of: (i) 30 days after NYC DOT approves the Dining Out NYC application or (ii) November 1, 2024. 

If restaurants currently have an outdoor dining area, but do not apply by the August 3 deadline, they may incur hefty fines. Fines starting at $500 for the first offense and increasing to $1,000 for subsequent violations will be given to restaurants that fail to comply.  New design elements are described on Dining Out NYC’s website, and DOT created a marketplace directory where restaurants can find a searchable directory of companies that provide design, fabrication, installation, removal, storage, and renting/leasing essentials to support compliant outdoor dining cafes. The resource is meant to help restaurants, but restaurants are not required to use it. 

For an overview of these recent changes, read this overview by New York Law School’s CityLand. If you still have questions, contact diningoutnyc@dot.nyc.gov.

Photo Credit: Dining Out NYC