NYC Restaurants Prepare for Return of Outdoor Dining Structures Next Week

Outdoor Dining Returns to NYC

• 🗓️ Starting next week, restaurants in New York City will be allowed to set up their curbside dining structures.
• 🍽️ Approximately 2,600 restaurants currently hold permits for outdoor dining on roadways and sidewalks.
• ☀️ The official start date for street dining is April 1st, in addition to year-round sidewalk dining options.

Growth and Evolution of Outdoor Dining

• 📈 The number of outdoor dining spots on city streets has nearly tripled since the pandemic, growing from about 1,200 to nearly 3,000.
• 🌍 New York City's program is compared to Paris in terms of its quantity and quality.
• 🗑️ Past structures like the "pizza bus" in Williamsburg and a trolley in Midtown have been removed.

New Regulations for Outdoor Dining Structures

• 🛠️ New rules require structures to have a removable floor to facilitate weekly cleaning and address rat concerns.
• 💧 Barriers must be filled only with water, not sand, to deter rats.
• 🧹 Curbs must be kept clean and clear.

Customer and Business Reactions

• 😊 Diners express excitement for outdoor dining, enjoying the opportunity to eat outside in pleasant weather and engage in people-watching.
• 🌟 Ronan DS from Route 66 on Stone Street, with 25 years of experience, finds the city's current approach to running the program to be fair.
• 👍 Kate Waldron of Jack's Wife Freda notes that customers are enthusiastic about outdoor seating options.