New York City has released a draft of its new outdoor dining rules that are part of an overall plan the City Council approved back in August, and they're drawing a mixed reaction from restaurant owners.
The final rules are expected to be rolled out next spring. New renderings put out on Thursday show the outdoor structures have to be wheelchair accessible and cannot be fully enclosed. They also must be a certain size and will have to include drainage and barriers as well.
Permitted restaurants can serve food in sidewalk seating all year round and on city streets from April until the end of November.
The new rules will get a 30-day public comment period ahead of a public hearing.
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Restaurant owners like Billy Pappas are stressed about regulations controlling their outdoor structures, which were lifesavers during the pandemic. Among those worries: the proposal banning hard-top roofs in favor of soft-top canopies or umbrellas.
"I kinda like the fully enclosed because it protects from the rain, other elements, wind," Pappas said.
Ever since Mayor Eric Adams took a sledgehammer to a shed and the city has removed hundreds of crumbling eyesores, the city insists it's not trying to rain on anyone's parade.
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The designs released Thursday, which also include an example of what streets will look like, have been in the works for months since 6,500 restaurants with roadside sheds must become seasonal in November of next year. For a $1,000 fee, a restaurant can keep sidewalk seating all year.
"We have unified design guidelines so that going forward everything will have a certain look to it," NYC Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said.
Callie Lappas said the changes seemed manageable, especially the part of the design that requires side barriers to reach the street in an effort to cut down on rats.
"I think it's nice to have outdoor dining but at the same time, I think it would be nice to have a standard in place that's clean and neat and organized. Right now, it seems like a disheveled mess," Lappas said.
City officials inside they are pro-outdoor dining, and estimate the program saved 100,000 jobs. As for the new designs, owners, customers and interested parties have 30 days to weigh in before the Department of Transportation makes a final decision.
