Menin introduces outdoor dining legislation package
Menin previews the outdoor dining bills allowing year-round operation, addressing quality of life concerns including sanitation and noise, setting an 11 p.m. closing time, and establishing penalties for non-compliant restaurant owners.
As the summer comes to a close, I'm sure the last thing that we want on our minds is the winter months, but restaurant owners are always looking ahead and we in the council are looking out for them.
After passing a package of bills on outdoor dining that we're going to be doing today, sidewalk cafes can operate 365 days a year and for many restaurants the ability to serve customers outside all year round provides vital revenue.
As a former restaurant owner myself, I know how important this is to make sure that outdoor dining is year-round because it's really a lifeline to these restaurants.
At the same time, we want to ensure that our neighbors are as satisfied as our restaurant owners and diners, and that's exactly why some of the bills in this package are going to be addressing quality of life issues, sanitation issues,
rats, and other quality of life issues that we heard about the outdoor dining program.
So one of the bills, and each member will be talking about
Their bills, but one of the bills establishes penalties for restaurant owners who do not properly clean the site.
Another sets an end time in the evenings at 11 p.m.
So whether you live in the restaurant's neighborhood or you're just there for a meal, our outdoor dining plan hopes to make all New Yorkers happy.