Mayor Adams Signs Outdoor Dining Bill Into Law

Photo Credit: NYC Mayor Eric Adams office

Today, the NYC Hospitality Alliance joined Mayor Eric Adams at Havana Café in the Bronx at the bill signing celebration for the permanent outdoor dining legislation sponsored by its champion, Councilmember Marjorie Velazquez! In attendance were other elected and community leaders, including a group of NYC Hospitality Alliance members.

With a stroke of the pen, Mayor Adams enacted this historic law. The new outdoor dining program will include sidewalk cafés and roadway streeteries. It will cut the red tape and reduce fees for restaurants to participate in outdoor dining when compared to the overly restrictive pre-pandemic sidewalk café licenses, which excluded so many restaurants throughout the five boroughs from even offering al fresco dining. 

We know restaurateurs and bar operators have many questions about the next steps and future of outdoor dining and what this new law means for their business. That’s why we put together this Highlights of the Permanent Outdoor Dining Law guide to give you insight of what to expect. As you will read, the design guidelines for streeteries and the exact timeline of when businesses must apply and transition from the current standards into the new program are still a work in progress, but the NYC Hospitality Alliance will keep you informed as additional details are finalized and information is available. 

The NYC Hospitality Alliance extends a special thank you to Mayor Adams for signing this important legislation into law, Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, Speaker Adrienne Adams and her team, and all the elected leaders and advocates for their support of this monumental public policy. And, a big thank you to NYC Hospitality Alliance Board Member Kevin Alicea and his team at Havana Café for hosting today’s bill signing at his great restaurant.