Mayor Adams Signs Intro. 31-C and Makes Announcement About Future of Outdoor Dining

 

In front of City Council members from all over the city, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed Intro. 31-C into law and unveiled “Dining Out NYC”, New York’s permanent outdoor dining program and the largest outdoor dining program in the nation. 

“Dining Out NYC” represents one of the most significant efforts of the last decade to reimagine the city’s streetscape to support all New Yorkers and small businesses, while creating vibrant public spaces that improve quality of life and continue to accelerate the city’s economic recovery. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic that saved 100,000 jobs across the city but led to quality-of-life issues, a subset of restaurant owners were unable to maintain loosely regulated outdoor dining setups.

“Outdoor dining is here to stay, New York,” said Mayor Adams. “New Yorkers were hungry for a cleaner, safer, healthier outdoor dining program, and we are delivering for them with Dining Out NYC. Too many abandoned sheds attracted rats and detracted from the beauty of our city. Dining Out NYC locks in the best parts of outdoor dining and gets rid of the worst for restaurants, communities, and diners alike. 

Under the creation of this new law, the New York City Department Of Transportation will work with partner agencies to develop proposed rules that will establish design requirements as well as siting, material, operational guidance and cost per square foot. Those rules will enter public review this fall. Under the new program, outdoor dining setups will be open-air and easier to move or break down, as the city will no longer allow fully enclosed structures. Restaurants actively participating in the temporary program can continue operating with existing setups through the remainder of 2023 and throughout their application process, as detailed below.

 

These new rules will address quality-of-life concerns of the temporary program, including sanitation and accessibility. Once the new rules are finalized by early 2024, DOT will launch an online application portal where restaurants can begin applying for the permanent program. A restaurant’s outdoor dining setup will need to comply with the permanent program’s design requirements within 30 days of their application approval. This timeline anticipates the first approved Dining Out NYC setups will be on the street in spring 2024.

The Intro 31-C press conference and bill signing was held at the Havana Cafe on East Tremont Avenue in Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez' council district who is the prime sponsor of the bill. She said “Outdoor dining was a lifeline for our city during the Pandemic, one that can be used as the foundation of not only rebuilding and reimagining the food and restaurant industry, reinvigorating and stimulating New York City’s economy throughout all five boroughs,”

Kevin Alecia the owner of Havana Cafe said his street dining seating would cost thirty-five thousand to rebuild it, and he has no place to store it for four months. 

The symbol for Mayor Adams Dining Out NYC. 

Mayor Eric Adams explains his Outdoor Dining Plan with Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez and Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi on either side.  

Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez speaks about Intro 31-C she sponsored. Far right is Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr.

Jeffrey Garcia of the Latino Cafe Owners also spoke in favor of Intr 31-C.

Before signing Intro 31-C Mayor Adams took a few questions like one from this reporter on the details of the Outdoor Dining, which Mayor Adams said the rules will be made up by the NYCDOT who will be in charge of the program and the fees associated with it.

Mayor Adams signs Intro 31-C into law using dozens of pens so each council member received a pen used to sign Intro 31-C.