You are reading

City Council Passes Bill to Extend Outdoor Dining Program and Make it Permanent

Outdoor dining at American Brass in Long Island City (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Oct. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin

The City Council passed a bill today to extend New York City’s outdoor dining program through next September — and at that point make a variation of it permanent.

The legislation extends the current outdoor dining program called “Open Restaurants” until Sept. 30, 2021. The current program allows eateries to serve customers on sidewalks, curbsides and select streets.

The program will then be replaced on Sept. 30, 2021 by a new plan that will also allow the use of roadway seating as outdoor dining areas, the legislation states.

The legislation also allows the use of portable electric and propane heaters in outdoor dining areas, subject to guidelines issued by the FDNY.

The newly-passed bill, sponsored by Ridgewood Council Member Antonio Reynoso, essentially codifies an earlier announcement by Mayor Bill de Blasio into law. The mayor announced Sept. 25 that the Open Restaurants program would be permanent.

The Queens Chamber of Commerce applauded the City Council for voting to make outdoor dining permanent, which it said would help struggling restaurant owners stay afloat.

“Outdoor dining has not just been a hit with restaurant goers, it has allowed our cherished neighborhood establishments to keep New Yorkers employed and bring in some desperately needed revenue,” said Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech. “We are delighted that the program has been made permanent.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Year in Review: Crimes that impacted the borough and shook the city in 2024

QNS is looking back at our top stories throughout 2024 as we look forward to 2025. In terms of crime, the borough was shaken by several high-profile murders, police shootings and drug gang takedowns, many of which shocked the entire city. Here are some of the top 2024 crime stories in Queens.

The city’s first homicide of the year went down in an Elmhurst karaoke bar

New York City’s first murder in 2024 occurred on New Year’s Day when a Manhattan bouncer stabbed two men outside an Elmhurst karaoke bar near 76th Street and Roosevelt Ave. just before 4 a.m. Torrance Holmes, 35, of Hamilton Heights, was arrested by detectives days later at his home and transported back to Queens to face justice.