Outdoor roadway dining is here to stay, per Mayor Mamdani.
Mamdani signed Intro. 655, sponsored by City Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), into law on Monday, ending the requirement that restaurants annually dismantle and rebuild their roadway dining setups to provide reduced costs for restaurant owners, a move that is predicted to boost the number of eateries participating in the program.
Whereas restaurants participating in Dining Out NYC were previously required to remove roadway dining setups from Nov. 30 through March 31, the structures can now remain year-round, with the city Department of Transportation set to issue rules in the coming months for temporarily winterizing them instead. Outdoor dining will have to close by 11 p.m. to reduce noise for residents.
“Outdoor dining transformed our city once before. I’m so excited for it to do so once again,” Mamdani said in a press conference minutes before signing the measure into law. “Today’s bill signing is reflective of a different policy choice, one that will make New York City feel even more alive than it currently does.”
Councilmember Shanel Thomas-Henry (D-Corona) said, “As Chair of the Committee on Small Business, I’m proud to support a bill that recognizes that when we reduce red tape for entrepreneurs, we strengthen our neighborhoods and build a stronger local economy for everyone.”
Applications for yearlong licenses will open early this month. One may visit diningout.nyc.info. to learn more.