That's a bit of an overstatement; NYC has not completely ended outdoor dining, but it has significantly changed the program.
Here are the key points about the current status of outdoor dining in NYC under the "Dining Out NYC" program:
* Roadway Dining is Seasonal: The temporary, pandemic-era structures in the street ("streeteries" or "sheds") are now only permitted seasonally, from April 1 through November 29 each year. They had to be removed by November 29th (which was Friday, two days ago) for the winter season.
* Sidewalk Dining is Year-Round: Outdoor dining setups on the sidewalk that meet the new program's requirements are still allowed to operate year-round.
* New, Permanent Program: The city passed the "Dining Out NYC" program to make outdoor dining a permanent feature, but it's much more regulated than the original emergency program.
* Decline in Participation: The new rules, which include a seasonal requirement for roadway setups, new fees, and stricter design/removal requirements, have led to a significant decline in the number of restaurants participating compared to the height of the pandemic. Many restaurant owners have found the new system too costly or burdensome.
* Reasons for the Change: The move to a more restrictive, seasonal, and regulated program was largely in response to quality-of-life concerns from some residents, including issues with aesthetics, noise, sidewalk obstruction, rats, and loss of parking.
So, while the sheds are gone for the winter, outdoor dining itself is a permanent, but scaled-back and more strictly regulated, feature of the city.
Would you like to know more about the specific rules for the Dining Out NYC program or how this affects restaurants near a certain NYC neighborhood?
Posts
0 Comments