Spring is in the Air: Outdoor Dining in Roadways Returns April 1, 2, 600 Establishments Approved to Operate on Roadways or Sidewalks

Example of a roadway outdoor dining setup compliant with Dining Out NYC. Credit: NYC DOT

Approved Restaurants Can Begin Constructing Roadway Setups Starting Next Week on March 25, Sidewalk Setups Are Allowed Year-Round

Affordable Rental Options Also Available for Restaurants That Do Not Want To Purchase or Store Setups

Reminding establishments participating in Dining Out NYC, the city’s outdoor dining program, that roadway dining returns on April 1 and that approved restaurants can begin installing roadway setups next week on March 25. In total, 2,600 establishments have approval to operate on roadways or sidewalks.

As established by the City Council, establishments can operate sidewalk setups year-round, while roadway dining operates seasonally, from April 1 to November 29. The vast majority of sidewalk applicants are already allowed to operate as their applications are pending. By April 1, NYC DOT estimates 600 roadway dining applicants and another roughly 2,000 sidewalk applicants will be able to operate, thanks to NYC DOT’s efforts to cut red tape by granting conditional approvals.

NYC DOT has received more than 3,400 Dining Out NYC applications from more than 3,000 restaurants. To make participation as accessible as possible, NYC DOT created a Dining Out NYC Marketplace that serves as a directory for businesses that sell or rent compliant outdoor dining set-ups and services. Rentals are available for prices as low as just over $1,000 a month, or $33 a day, to provide affordable set-up options that do not require restaurants to find storage when the roadway outdoor dining season ends.

Dining Out NYC is already more than two and half times the size of the pre-COVID sidewalk cafe program and applications remain open year-round at nyc.gov/DiningOut.