LITTLE ITALY, Manhattan (PIX11) — Outdoor dining will soon be back on the menu for thousands of city eateries after plummeting post-pandemic.
Fees and red tape were the ingredients that made this a dish many owners could not stomach.
The New York City Council says that by making it easier and cheaper for outside dining to run, it will keep food on the table for thousands of workers who will keep their jobs.
Now being served at restaurants, year-round dining, with winterized enclosures allowed for sidewalk cafes. The city will also let eateries stay open past 11 p.m.
Any fees restaurants are required to pay can now be paid quarterly. However, the city will continue to enforce strict sanitation standards.
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New York City officials acknowledged the burden of running outdoor dining was simply too much under former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
The Council says that by axing the barriers to running these outdoor cafes and roadway dining sheds, each restaurant will essentially add another worker, which amounts to thousands of jobs across the city.