Born from the pandemic when indoor dining wasn’t permitted in NYC, outdoor dining became a staple to NYC dining culture.
After undoing many changes, this month, March 2024, NYC’s existing outdoor dining program will be replaced with the new initiative “Dining Out NYC.” This past Tuesday, March 5th, Mayor Adams launched the application process for restaurants to take part in the new program and unveiled prototypes for the new dining sheds.
Under Dining Out NYC, outdoor dining setups will use lightweight materials that are easily movable and visible on the street. The setups will keep sidewalks and emergency roadway lanes clear and continue to provide accessibility for people with physical disabilities.
Each customizable setup prototype is tailored to a different diverse street context and includes anti-rat mitigations and the ability to withstand inclement weather. Prototype setups include:
Corner Setup:
Corner Setup features include:
- An aluminum barrier with marine plywood sheathing
- An aluminum floor with wood paver infills
- An overhead covering with wood posts and fabric canopy
- String lighting overhead
- Rechargeable table lights
- A storage bench
- Removable panels
Mid-Block Setup:
Mid-Block Setup features include:
- An aluminum barrier with marine plywood sheathing
- An aluminum floor
- A rigid overhead canopy with aluminum and rigid polycarbonate panels
- Table lights
- Screening wood slats panels
- Integrated bench seating to save space
Floating Parking Lane Setup:
Floating Parking Lane Setup features include:
- A barrier with marine plywood cladding
- An aluminum floor with marine plywood tiles and a removable, rubber accessibility ramp
- A rigid overhead canopy with aluminum and vestibule panel covering
- Planters for greenery throughout
- A guard made of vestibule panels
- A chain link enclosure
Steep Street Setup:
Steep Street Setup features include:
- An aluminum barrier with sheet metal cladding
- A perforated square steel tubing floor structure with floorboards
- A metal accessibility ramp and steps
- An overhead canopy with an aluminum structure and retractable fabric
- Battery-operated table lights
- Planters for greenery
- Integrated bench seating to save space
Mayor Adams stated:
We’re getting outdoor dining right, getting sheds down, getting trash off our streets, and fundamentally changing what it feels like to be outside in New York City…We’ve locked in the best parts of the pandemic program and done away with the worst, and I can’t wait to dine out this summer!
According to Curbed, Dawa’s in Woodside, Bodrum on the Upper West Side, Sunday to Sunday on the Lower East Side, and Warique in Jackson Heights have been chosen by the DOT to be the first to test out the prototypes.
As of Tuesday, March 5th, an online portal has been created to streamline the application process for restaurants that want to participate.
Any restaurants currently participating in the outdoor dining program must apply to be a part of the permanent program by August 3, 2024 to continue operating throughout the approval process. Restaurants participating in the current program that don’t apply by August 3 must remove their current outdoor dining setups.
The first approved Dining Out NYC setups will hit NYC streets this summer.