The New York City Council is expected to vote on a package of bills on Thursday that could change the city's dining landscape for years to come. 

Council Member Marjorie Velázquez, the sponsor of the bill, joined “Mornings On 1” ahead of the vote, saying that there is “certainly” enough support to pass the legislation. 

“The world as we knew it before the pandemic limited what outdoor dining was. It made it only available to certain areas of the city, if anything, just Manhattan focused, so very limited, super expensive,” she said. “Now we're thinking about what the future looks like.” 

The proposed legislation would require restaurants to obtain a license from the city to participate in outdoor dining, with fees based on location and square footage. 

Under the proposal, "sidewalk cafes," located on the sidewalks adjacent to restaurant storefronts, would be able to operate all year round, with fees lower than similar licenses before the pandemic. 

However, "roadway cafes," set up either along the curb or in a parking space, would only be allowed to operate from April to the end of November, and would have to be taken down for winter. 

Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, also spoke about the bill on “Mornings On 1” on Thursday, saying most restaurant owners are strongly in support of the legislation.

“We need to transition out of the pandemic-era emergency program into this standardized, sustainable program, so people can love and enjoy outdoor dining for many years to come,” Rigie said. 

“This bill that's being voted on today is so much better than the sidewalk cafe law we had pre-pandemic, and I can give you a couple of different reasons why, but we need to understand this is so much better than where we were, and it's going to be great for small businesses, for jobs, for people that love dining alfresco,” he added. 

Both sidewalk and roadway cafes will be required to use removable materials, and enclosed setups will not be permitted going forward.