ICYMI: Roadway dining gets a year-round seat at the table

EVG file photo

New York City's roadway dining season will no longer have to end when November does. 

City Council voted last week to allow restaurants to operate roadway dining setups year-round, changing the rules of the city's permanent Dining Out NYC program. 

Under the current system, sidewalk cafes may operate year-round. At the same time, roadway setups are permitted from April 1 through Nov. 29. Restaurants must dismantle and store the roadway structures during the winter months. 

The legislation approved on Aug. 13 eliminates that seasonal restriction and creates a year-round roadway dining license. It also allows restaurants to use approved weatherproofing and winterizing materials. 

According to the Department of Transportation, applications for year-round roadway dining will open in early September. New applicants can select either a seasonal or year-round roadway license, with the year-round option carrying additional fees. 

Restaurants already participating in the program will be able to upgrade their licenses or pending applications by paying an additional fee. 

Officials say the change does not bring back the largely unregulated outdoor dining structures that proliferated during the pandemic. Roadway cafes will continue to be subject to the design, siting and licensing requirements of Dining Out NYC, as well as an 11 p.m. closing time.

City Council said 1,649 restaurants currently hold fully issued outdoor dining licenses citywide. 

Supporters of year-round roadway dining have argued that requiring restaurants to dismantle and store their structures every winter adds costs and discourages participation in the program. Critics of roadway dining have raised concerns about the loss of parking and curb space, sanitation, noise and the proliferation of structures on city streets. 

DOT says more information about the year-round program and the application process will be available ahead of the September launch.