This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
As New York City continues to reopen, restaurants and bars are facing a major challenge: finding space for customers to dine outdoors. With many establishments lacking available outdoor space, especially in Manhattan, owners have been pressing lawmakers for weeks to expand their ability to serve customers outside.
On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a major expansion of outdoor dining options in the city. Restaurants will now be allowed to place seating in curbside parking areas and on sidewalks adjacent to their establishments, even if they have never provided outdoor seating before.
Additionally, the city will allow restaurant seating on the 43 miles of streets that were closed as part of its Open Streets program. This program aimed to provide more outdoor space to residents and prevent crowding at city parks.
“Outdoor dining is the way forward,” Mayor de Blasio said, predicting that the expansion of outdoor dining could prevent 5,000 of the city’s restaurants from closing and avoid the loss of 45,000 jobs.
For restaurants that do not already have outdoor seating permits, an expedited application process will begin on Friday, officials said.
Restaurants like Hudson Clearwater in the West Village are already preparing to take advantage of the new rules. Manager Ted Pavlakos said the restaurant was “absolutely ready to open on Monday for outdoor seating,” with customers eagerly awaiting the reopening of its popular patio.
