A pandemic-era development is here to stay for good. New York City's infamous outdoor dining sheds, a staple in the city since the early days of 2020, are a major component of Dining out NYC, an official program from City Hall and the Department of Transportation. According to Florence Fabricant with The New York Times, "restaurants and other establishments that serve food can now apply for permits to take part through an official portal online." If approved, the restaurants will then be able to purchase a four-year license for a "roadbed or sidewalk enclosure . . . [and] have 30 days to remove their temporary structures or outfit them to comply with the city's rules."
If approved, the restaurant then has 30 days to remove or amend their current "dining shed," which can then remain in place from April through the end of November (the full "season"). Those who aren't approved, however, will be forced to remove their shed by August 3, while those with pending applications have until November 1. Built by the fabrication company SITU, there will be four enclosure types from which the restaurants can choose. These versions will best "adapt to various roadways and sidewalk configurations," wrote Fabricant. However, they will not be heated (nor "rat proof").
Anna Rahmanan at TimeOut notes that the new, approved outdoor eateries will be "required to be open-air, easily moveable and wheelchair accessible, featuring a drainage system alongside barriers and meet certain size requirements. They will all need to shut down nightly by midnight as well." Furthermore, Rahmanan notes that restaurants will "still be permitted to serve food to tables set upon the sidewalk all throughout the year," whereas the sheds must come down by December 1.
Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that the campaign is in effect "fundamentally transforming what it feels like to be outside in New York," according to Rahmanan. By April 2025, it is expected for there to be "full compliance citywide" with these new mandates.
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