Chair Menin Opening Remarks: Background on Local Law 121 and the Permanent Outdoor Dining Program
Chair Julie Menin welcomes attendees and provides historical context on Local Law 121 of 2023, which established the permanent 'Dining Out NYC' program to transition from temporary pandemic-era rules.
And so in August 2023, the council passed Local Law 121, which established a permanent outdoor dining program by granting licenses and revocable consents to restaurants to operate sidewalk and roadway cafes across all five boroughs of New York City.
This legislation learned the lessons of the city's temporary open restaurants program, improved upon the city's old sidewalk cafe law, and expanded the use of sidewalks and roadways to restaurants.
By the end of the city's temporary open restaurants programs, there were 13,144 businesses participating in outdoor dining.