As spring arrives and warmer temperatures set in, outdoor dining — made popular during the pandemic — makes its return.

While sidewalk dining is year round, outdoor dining on roads starts on April 1. 

What You Need To Know

  • Starting April 1, restaurants with permits and city-approved outdoor dining setups can serve customers on the street once again

  • Restaurants can either build structures — compliant with the city’s design rules — starting on March 25, or rent city-approved roadway dining structures

  • Some restaurants believe the costs associated with outdoor dining are too much, and have decided not to take part in the program
  • Roadside dining continues through Nov. 29

“I love to eat, especially eat outside with this nice weather. The sun’s out, couldn’t ask for better timing,” Trevor Reilly said.

“I love it. I think it’s a fun summer vibe, and keeps the morale of the city up with everyone eating and chatting outside,” Kelly Trotta said.

The Dining Out NYC program allows restaurants to operate outdoor dining setups. Restaurants can either build structures — compliant with the city’s design rules — starting March 25, or rent city-approved roadway dining structures.

The city’s permanent outdoor dining program bans curbside sheds and requires all seating areas to be open — with umbrellas or coverings overhead — rather than roofing structures. Removable flooring that gets cleaned once a week is also required.

“We listen to the community, we know that under this administration, led by Mayor Adams, quality of life is an important issue, and that’s why the new program that will be starting on April 1, is also taking into consideration everything relating to quality of life,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.

There were concerns about noise, rats and the loss of parking spaces after the popularity of outdoor dining exploded during the pandemic. It allowed many restaurants to stay in business when they couldn’t have diners inside.

Broadstone Bar and Kitchen, a family-run establishment in Lower Manhattan, is no longer participating in the program.

“At the end of the day, it’s too expensive to get a permit,” Pat Burke, a bartender at Broadstone Bar and Kitchen, said. “I think they should’ve let us keep it up as it was. I don’t see why we have to be punished now for something that was fine a year ago.”

When there were no fees or rules during the pandemic, 12,000 outdoor dining structures went up. Now, around 2,600 restaurants have permits to take part in either roadway or sidewalk dining.

“Being able to sit outside and watch people walk down the street, that’s kind of the part of what we love about New York,” Ashley Potter said.

Roadside dining continues through Nov. 29.