NYC Council Finally Catches Up to Real Cities With Year-Round Outdoor Dining

The New York City Council passed four bills to expand outdoor dining Thursday, addressing complaints expressed over the years by restaurant owners and customers about the pandemic-era program that turned into a New York City dining staple.

During the pandemic, the City allowed restaurants to serve customers outside as an emergency measure to allow them to stay open without spreading COVID-19. In 2023, the City Council made the program permanent, but restaurant owners complained that the requirements were too expensive and onerous.

"We've been advocating to reform the outdoor dining program to make it more small business friendly, better for al fresco dining," New York City Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie told Hell Gate, adding that three of the bills "are essential to creating a more fair and equitable outdoor dining program that cuts red tape and reduces unnecessary burdens on small businesses and encourages more restaurants and neighborhoods across the five boroughs to participate." (He excluded a bill that requires restaurants to keep their dining structures clean and free of rats.)