Mayor Mamdani Signs Bill Making Year-Round Outdoor Dining a Permanent Part of New York City

 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today signed legislation into law establishing permanent, year-round outdoor dining on New York City roadways.

Int. 0655, sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler, amends a previous law that required restaurants participating in the City’s outdoor dining program, Dining Out NYC, to remove roadway dining setups November 30 through March 31, a requirement that did not apply to sidewalk cafes.

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) will promulgate rules in the coming months allowing restaurants to temporarily winterize roadway dining setups.

“Outdoor dining transformed our city once before, and now we are making sure it has a permanent place in New York City,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The previous law forced small businessowners to dismantle and rebuild their outdoor dining setups every year, adding unnecessary costs and making it harder for neighborhood restaurants to plan for the future. With the legislation we’re signing today, our favorite restaurants can continue bringing New Yorkers together over good food and great company in every season. I’m grateful to Council Member Restler for championing this legislation and helping ensure that our streets work for the small businesses and communities that make this city what it is.”

“New Yorkers love dining outside, and outdoor seating makes our streets more vibrant while helping support the small businesses we cherish. NYC DOT built a successful permanent outdoor dining program that created cleaner, more accessible and more resilient roadway setups — but the previous law restricting roadway seating to a specific period was a costly hurdle that hurt restaurants’ participation,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “We look forward to developing new rules to allow for restaurants to winterize their roadway dining setups in a way that creates a comfortable dining experience while still maintaining the light and airy setups we see on our streets today.”

“Small businesses deserve a city government that treats them as partners, not one that leaves them navigating a maze of regulations,” said Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “SBS is proud to have championed these reforms as part of Mayor Mamdani’s Open for Small Business initiative, and we are grateful to Small Business Committee Chair Thomas-Henry and Council Member Restler for their leadership in expanding the outdoor dining program. Intro. 0655 activates our public realm, ensures vibrancy on our streets and strengthens small businesses’ ability to serve their neighborhoods and build community.”