Applications are now open for the city’s permanent outdoor dining program Dining Out NYC.
Restaurants can apply via the online application portal, which will serve as an easy access point for restaurants to apply to participate in the program, understand the guidelines and download sample blueprints from the Dining Out NYC Set-Up Menu.
“We’re getting outdoor dining right, getting sheds down, getting trash off our streets, and fundamentally changing what it feels like to be outside in New York City,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “The portal we’re opening today will make it easy for restaurants to participate in Dining Out NYC, build setups that work for diners, owners, neighbors, and our city, and continue to hire workers and serve satisfied customers. We’ve locked in the best parts of the pandemic program and done away with the worst, and I can’t wait to dine out this summer!”
The new program draws on lessons learned from the temporary outdoor dining program created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saved 100,000 jobs across the city but led to quality-of-life issues as a subset of restaurant owners were unable to maintain loosely-regulated outdoor dining setups.
A restaurant currently participating in the temporary program must apply to be a part of the permanent program by August 3, 2024 to continue operating throughout the approval process. Restaurants participating in the temporary program that do not apply by August 3 must remove their current outdoor dining setups.
Under Dining Out NYC, outdoor dining setups will use lightweight materials that are easily movable and visible on the street, and the setups will preserve clear paths on sidewalks and emergency roadway lanes, as well as continue to provide accessibility for people with physical disabilities. Restaurants will secure tables, chairs, and other furnishings within their setups during non-operating hours. The setups themselves will include anti-rat mitigations and will be able to withstand inclement weather.
