NYC Council to vote on bill allowing outdoor dining year-round

NEW YORK - Outdoor dining may become a year-round fixture in New York City, with the City Council expected to vote Thursday on whether to loosen several key restrictions.

Outdoor dining bills

What we know:

City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she expects the package of bills to pass at the 10 a.m. hearing, which would be a huge win for restaurant owners. 

The most significant bill up for a vote, sponsored by Brooklyn Council Member Lincoln Restler, would allow roadway cafés to operate all year long in the five boroughs.

Another bill would allow restaurant owners to winterize their outdoor dining structures. 

An additional measure would require roadway and sidewalk café owners to keep their setups free of trash, debris, graffiti and rats – or face fines of up to $500. 

An expensive process

The backstory:

Currently, the rules for outdoor dining allow the structures to operate starting April 1, but they must be disassembled and stored away by the end of November. 

The costly process has discouraged many restaurant owners from even applying for an outdoor dining permit.

There are noticeably fewer outdoor dining structures throughout the city lately, likely because of how expensive it is to put them up and take them down every year. 

Outdoor dining concerns

Local perspective:

Outdoor dining in New York City took off during the COVID pandemic, but the city has since imposed stricter rules on the roadway setups, in part because of concerns about poorly maintained structures, rats and parking availability. 

There are currently roughly 2,700 restaurants that offer outdoor dining, a far cry from 6,000–8,000 at the height of the pandemic.