All articles tagged with #outdoor dining
New York City is mandating the removal of all outdoor dining sheds by the end of next week due to new regulations. Restaurants can reinstall them in the spring if they comply with stricter rules, but many are opting not to do so.
Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council have reached a deal to make sidewalk cafes a permanent feature of New York City's outdoor dining scene, while limiting the use of pandemic-era curbside sheds. The agreement allows restaurants to apply for licenses to set up cafe-style seating outdoors that could operate year-round, while any curbside dining sheds would only be available from April through November. The compromise replaces the city's previous pre-pandemic sidewalk cafe permitting system and is expected to be voted on in June.
The New York City Council has released the bill that will regulate and make permanent outdoor, street-side dining. The Department of Transportation will oversee the program, and sidewalk and street-dining arrangements will be licensed separately. The bill refers to a street-dining shed as a “roadway café.” The physical requirements are still up in the air, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission has to approve sidewalk-dining sheds in historic districts. The bill generally seems to have been designed with a deep grace period before it takes effect, to help businesses adjust.
The NYPD is searching for ex-con Benjamin Abrams, who allegedly led police on a wild chase in Midtown Manhattan, crashing into an outdoor dining shed to avoid a traffic stop. Abrams, who has 24 prior arrests and was released from prison in August 2021, is on parole until February 2025. He has multiple active warrants for missing court dates in other criminal cases. The incident was captured on bystander video and police believe Abrams was the driver.
Portions of Main Street in downtown Houston that were closed during the pandemic to make room for outdoor dining spaces will remain closed permanently, according to a vote by the city council. The initiative, known as "More Space: Main Street," was initially introduced to help businesses during COVID-19 restrictions. The street closures have been popular with diners and business owners, who say it makes the area more welcoming and attractive. The city is now considering expanding the initiative to other parts of Houston if there is demand from residents and businesses.
Houston city council members have voted unanimously to permanently close down traffic on seven blocks of Main Street in downtown Houston to extend the "More Space: Main Street" program that allowed restaurants and bars to maintain outdoor seating space between Commerce Street and Rusk Street. The program has enabled participating businesses to add a total of 45 tables and 154 seats on outdoor patios so far, according to Houston's Chief Transportation Planner David Fields. The goal is to eventually expand the concept to other local businesses and commercial strips citywide.