Outdoor Dining Law Passed by City Council!

We’re thrilled to announce that after 2+ years of public hearings and discussions, today the City Council voted and passed the historic permanent outdoor dining legislation that includes sidewalk cafés and streeteries. 

Like so much in government, the process required negotiations with many different internal and external stakeholders to arrive with the final bill. But we’re very happy that the NYC Hospitality Alliance’s advocacy secured a new outdoor dining law. This new law will cut the red tape and bureaucracy for small business owners to get a license and reduce the fees for restaurants to participate when compared to the overly restrictive and expensive pre-pandemic sidewalk café law, which also excluded thousands of restaurants throughout the five boroughs from ever offering al fresco dining.

We look forward to Mayor Adams signing this legislation into law and working with the Department of Transportation on the design guidelines and additional details regarding what the streeteries will look like, how they are managed during the winter, and more. 

We know restaurateurs and bar operators have many questions about the future of outdoor dining and what this new law means for their business, much of which you can read about by CLICKING HERE. As you will read, the exact timeline of when businesses will have to apply and transition from the current standards into the new program is still a work in progress like the design guidelines, but rest assured the NYC Hospitality Alliance will keep you informed as additional details are finalized and information is available. 

Cheers to Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, Speaker Adrienne Adams and her team, and all the elected leaders and advocates for their support of this monumental public policy. We look forward to Mayor Eric Adams signing the bill into law.