FAQ

• Restaurants actively participating in the temporary Open Restaurants program will be allowed to continue operating while waiting for approval in the Dining Out NYC program if they submit their application for the new program by August 3, 2024. NYC DOT will start accepting applications via the application portal in March 2024. 
  • Restaurants participating in the temporary program that do not apply within this time period will need to remove their current outdoor dining setups when this timeframe has expired. 
• Outdoor dining setups will need to comply with the Dining Out NYC design requirements within 30 days of the approval of your application.

• To help food establishments understand the requirements for outdoor dining, the City has created an interactive guide: visit the Setup Guide.

• NYC DOT is accepting applications for sidewalk and roadway cafes.
• Learn more information on our How to Apply page.

• A revocable consent is the mechanism through which the City grants a right to an individual or organization to construct and maintain certain structures on, over, or under the streets and sidewalks of the City, including sidewalk and roadway cafes.
• As the name implies, the City retains the right to revoke the consent at any time.

• Drawings are not required to be developed by an architect or other professional.
• Review the Setups Guides to understand the requirements for roadway and sidewalk cafes. 
• Visit our How to Apply page for more information. 

• NYC DOT anticipates it will take up to six months for sidewalk cafes and up to five months for roadway cafes once NYC DOT receives a complete and accurate application.
• Applicants will be able to track the status of their application on the application portal.

• Sidewalk cafes will be permitted to operate year-round.
• Roadway cafes will be permitted to operate from April 1 to November 29.

• No. 
• Roadway cafes may only operate between April 1 and November 29 each year.
• NYC DOT may allow restaurants additional time each year to setup and disband their roadway cafe. NYC DOT will provide more information on its website prior to the outdoor dining season.

• Businesses will need to identify storage space to ensure that materials can be removed during the non-roadway season.  
• NYC DOT will be working with the private sector to support emerging and existing rental businesses to supply restaurants with rentable outdoor dining setups, and the setup and breakdown services associated with them.  
• NYC DOT, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, and the Public Design Commission are also working to design and develop a modular outdoor dining setup which will adhere to the new rules and regulations for roadway dining. This project, the Setup Menu, will result in final designs that will be made available to the public for use in their restaurants after the rules are finalized.  

• The cost to participate will vary based on the location of your restaurant and the size of your outdoor dining cafe.  
• Restaurants will need to pay two separate fees: 
  • License Fee 
    • A $1,050 license fee, covering the four-year license term, for roadway or sidewalk cafes, or $2,100 for both roadway and sidewalk cafes. 
  • Revocable Consent Fee 
    • An annual revocable consent fee paid each year in the four-year term that will be determined based on the location of your restaurant and the size of your outdoor dining cafe.  

Annual Revocable Consent Fee Rates:

Sector	Sidewalk Fee Rate             (per square foot)	Roadway Fee Rate             (per square foot)
1	$6	$5
2	$10	$8
3	$18	$14
4	$31	$25

Map of the Fee Zones:

Examples of Revocable Consent Fee Scheduled Applied:

Revocable Consent Fee Formula:

• Square footage (size) of outdoor dining cafe x sector fee rate

Abbreviations:

• PSF: per square foot 
• SF: Square foot 

• The roadway dining fee rates are further discounted to account for the shorter season and wider barriers required for roadway cafes. 

In order to be eligible for the program, a food establishment must be: 

• A ground floor food establishment that is visible from the street and directly accessible to the public from the street; and   
• Operated pursuant to a food service establishment permit issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).
• In a permitted location pursuant to the Dining Out NYC rules.

• Yes. You do not need to be participating in the temporary program to apply for the Dining Out NYC program. 
• However, restaurants actively participating in the temporary Open Restaurants program will be allowed to continue operating while waiting for approval in the new program if they submit their application for the Dining Out NYC program by August 3, 2024.

• Yes, an enclosed sidewalk cafe that was lawfully operated on March 16, 2020, or at any time within the four years prior, can still operate under the new program.  
• The annual fee for a revocable consent for enclosed sidewalk cafes will be the rate required to be paid for the cafe as of March 16, 2020, pursuant to the rules of DCWP.  

• NYC DOT will be responsible for program administration.

• NYC DOT will lead interagency coordination on enforcement with the Department of Sanitation, the Police Department, DOHMH, and the Department of Homeless Services. 

• Visit our Restaurant Resources page for a list of resources from City agencies. 
• The City will provide additional information about support once the application portal opens.

• The City is developing a Setup Menu, a modular outdoor dining setup which will adhere to the finalized rules and regulations for roadway cafes.

• NYC DOT will have dedicated, multilingual staff working with restaurants on the application process as well as multilingual inspectors in the field.  
• In addition, the online application will be translated into other languages, and NYC DOT will do targeted outreach to ensure all communities have the information they need to participate in the permanent program. 

• Yes.  
• If your establishment serves alcohol, you may apply to the State Liquor Authority (SLA) to incorporate your sidewalk or roadway cafe into the premises covered by your liquor license.  
• Please visit SLA’s website for more information on how to apply.