City Council looks to revive New York City outdoor dining

Walter Wuthmann

Published Aug 13, 2026

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An outdoor dining setup during the pandemic.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

Walter Wuthmann

Published Aug 13, 2026

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Outdoor dining in New York City could make a comeback under a package of bills set to be voted on by the City Council on Thursday.

Sidewalk cafes and roadside sheds were a common sight during the height of the pandemic as the city relaxed its outdoor dining rules to help the embattled restaurant industry. At its peak, some 12,500 restaurants offered outdoor dining, according to data provided by Council Speaker Julie Menin’s office.

But some locals complained about decrepit sheds, rodent infestations, and the loss of parking spaces. Regulations passed in 2024 led to a sharp decline in outdoor dining. Around 1,600 restaurants now participate in the program, which only lasts from April to December.

“ Outdoor dining is so critically important to local restaurants,” said NYC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie. “ Unfortunately, the new outdoor dining program posed a lot of red tape and expenses on small businesses, and made it really frustrating and expensive.”

The package of bills amounts to a course correction from the regulations implemented under previous Mayor Eric Adams, who saw the dilapidated outdoor sheds as a sanitation problem.

The new rules limited the outdoor dining season from April to December, added fees, and standardized the designs of street sheds.

One bill, sponsored by Councilmember Lincoln Restler from Brooklyn, would once again make outdoor dining year-round. Another proposal would allow restaurants to enclose their sidewalk cafes during the winter.

Other bills would allow operators to pay fees in quarterly installments to reduce upfront costs and create new penalties for restaurants that don’t keep their outdoor spaces free of trash, graffiti, rodents, and vermin.

Rigie said his organization supports all four Council proposals, calling them “a big step in the right direction.”

Advocates also hope the legislation will help expand outdoor dining in the outer boroughs. A recent analysis by the nonprofit Open Plans found that 94% of curbside dining setups are located in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

“ The cost of setting [sheds] up, breaking them down, storing the material is just too burdensome for most restaurants,” said Open Plans Co-Executive Director Sara Lind. “ The option to have curbside dining year-round, we believe, is going to really unleash the potential, and we're going to see it in a lot of neighborhoods again.”

Menin told business leaders earlier this year that she was committed to fixing the outdoor dining program.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he supports a year-round outdoor dining program. A commission he formed has also proposed streamlining the application process.

“Our administration is proud to collaborate with the City Council on any effort to improve outdoor dining and looks forward to working with them to implement a year-round program that is more accessible to more restaurants and ensures our streets can be used in a variety of ways to benefit all New Yorkers — not just vehicles,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said.

The Council’s committee on transportation and infrastructure is set to meet at 10 a.m. to vote on the bills. If approved, they’d be sent up for a full Council meeting later Thursday afternoon.

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