New York City Council Votes to Expand Year-Round Outdoor Dining
The 37-5 vote would let restaurants keep roadway cafes open all year and lower costs that helped drive participation to 1,549 licenses.
- On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the New York City Council voted 37 to 5 to restore year-round outdoor dining, eliminating seasonal restrictions that forced restaurants to dismantle roadway setups between November and March.
- Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who sponsored the measure, noted a 90% decline in participation following 2023 restrictions, stating the requirement to reconstruct structures annually became "stupidly expensive" for small businesses.
- Operating year-round requires a $1,050 license fee and adherence to an 11 p.m. closing time, with the city imposing fines between $200 and $500 for setups violating cleanliness or sanitary standards.
- Supporting the measure, the NYC Hospitality Alliance called the expansion a "lifeline" for small businesses, though Republican Minority Leader David Carr voted against it, citing concerns about losing council oversight on local eatery placements.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani expects the program to bolster the restaurant sector, which supports nearly 280,000 jobs, as his administration moves to simplify application procedures for small business owners.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Bon appetit! City Council approves return to year-round outdoor dining program, nixing failed seasonal version
After a largely unsuccessful seasonal run over the past couple of years, the City Council on Thursday voted to return the city’s outdoor dining program to its most popular form: a year-round operation. The 51-member council passed the legislation by a 37 to 5 Aug. 13 vote, removing seasonal restrictions for outdoor dining, which forbid...
Bon Appétit: Year-Round Roadside Dining Set To Return to NYC Under Newly Passed Bills
New Yorkers will soon once again be able to enjoy dining in restaurant roadside sheds year-round and enclosed sidewalk cafes during the coldest months of the year under a package of bills the City Council passed Thursday in a move to expand outdoor dining. Many of the city’s streets were lined with curbside tables during a pandemic-era outdoor dining heyday, but unkempt sheds, rodent infestations and dwindling parking spaces prompted lawmakers …
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