Even as City officials seek to revive outdoor dining by making it year-round again, the number of restaurants offering al fresco eating is set to drop dramatically this year. That's because the New York City Department of Transportation will only allow restaurants to participate in curbside dining starting April 1 if they’ve completed a monthlong approval process and secured an official license—which only 411 restaurants have done.
That's down from more than 700 restaurants that had streeteries last year under conditional approvals granted by the City, which will no longer be honored in 2026.