This week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance’s Max Bookman testified at a City Council hearing in support of reforms to improve Dining Out NYC (outdoor dining). If enacted, the reforms reduce unnecessary burdens on bars and restaurants, and remove barriers that deter others from participating because of regulatory hurdles and costs.
Overview of Proposed Reforms:
- Int. 0655: Makes roadway dining year-round — a crucial fix. Seasonal roadway dining doesn’t work for many restaurants; setup, breakdown, and storage costs make it unviable for many small businesses.
- T2026-1336: Restores the 8-foot (or, 50% whichever is greater) clear-path standard for sidewalk cafés, which worked well for decades. The new more restrictive standard cuts seating, customer capacity, revenue, and jobs for many restaurants.
- Int. 0628: Improves accessibility and equity by allowing paper applications and adding a “save your work” feature to the online portal — essential for small business owners who aren’t tech-savvy.
- Additional improvements: Streamlined community board review and allowing use of adjacent roadway café frontage will help businesses with narrow store frontage generate more revenue and create jobs.
More Reforms Are Still Needed:
- Allow Sidewalk Café Enclosures: Let restaurants use enclosed sidewalk cafés year-round, especially in cooler months, to sustain sales, preserve jobs, and provide comfortable seating. Since restaurants pay annual license fees, they should be able to operate year-round.
- Cut Red Tape: Eliminate the costly, time-consuming revocable consent requirement for outdoor dining. The City Council added it — and can remove it — to make the system faster, fairer, and more affordable for small businesses.
- Offer Fee Installments: Allow outdoor dining fees to be paid in installments rather than one lump sum to ease financial pressure on small operators.
The NYC Hospitality Alliance will keep advocating until we secure a better Dining Out NYC program for the entire hospitality industry.
| ☝️ Have you ever wondered who to contact when you need help with your restaurant operations? JFHANY is creating a Restaurant Vendor Directory to help our members easily find trusted service providers and suppliers. We would greatly appreciate your cooperation in building this directory.https://forms.gle/yzbyqkyeU5LoUafZ8 |
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