NYC Outdoor Dining's Final Rules: No More Sheds, Seasonal Road Cafes

NEW YORK CITY — The final menu of rules for New York City's permanent outdoor dining program is set — and dining al fresco won't be the same.

"Dining Out NYC," the long-awaited ever-lasting program, will only allow certain types of roadway dining sheds eight months a year under the final rules unveiled Friday, officials said.

By summer, eateries will have to take down their old outdoor dining setups and replace them, if they plan to offer diners open-air meals.

"The largest outdoor dining program in the country is here," said Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations, in a statement.

"A transformative effort to reimagine our streetscape and support our small businesses at the same time, Dining Out NYC will create inviting, vibrant, attractive, and safe outdoor dining setups that work for restaurants and work for New York City."

The rules take effect in March, when applications for new licenses open for restaurants.

The biggest change will be that enclosed, year-round roadway dining sheds are no longer allowed.

Instead, roadway cafes must be open-air and easy to move, clean, set up and break down, according to the rules. They'll also only be allowed April through November.

"Ultimately, the final rules will create a lighter-weight outdoor dining experience with lines of sight, as compared to the fully-enclosed shacks of the temporary, COVID-19-era program," a mayor's office release states.