New York City Legalizes Outdoor Dining

Last Thursday, the New York City city council approved a bill permanently legalizing the outdoor dining structures that started dotting the city during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an article by Emma G. Fitzsimmons in The New York Times, “The bill aims to strike a balance by retaining a popular al fresco program while regulating it more closely, allowing for the clearing of abandoned or ugly dining sheds.” The bill also requires restaurants to take down the structures between November 30 and March 31, an addition that some restaurant owners say adds extra cost for dismantling and storage and reduces their ability to seat more customers during winter.

Under the bill, expected to be signed by Mayor Eric Adams, “the city’s Transportation Department would set basic design guidelines that have yet to be determined. Restaurants could offer outdoor dining from 10 a.m. until midnight and would be required to pay fees based on their location and square footage, with higher fees in Manhattan south of 125th Street.”

Supporters of the bill, like Kate Slevin, executive vice president at the Regional Plan Association, say the bill is “not 100 percent perfect” but provides a reasonable compromise. Others point out that the added expenses could exclude all but the most financially successful restaurants.