Q&A on projected number of outdoor dining structures
Restler explains that at peak there were 8,000 roadway dining structures, now under 800, and expects significant new participation based on surveys showing cost was the top barrier. Menin adds concerns about DOT's slow permit approval process and the need for ongoing oversight.
Is there a projection for how many more outdoor dining sheds, or not sheds, but structures there could be with this program in place now?
At its peak, there were about 8,000 roadway dining structures in New York City.
Today, they're under 800.
We are confident, based on the surveys that we've seen of small businesses that have indicated that the number one reason they don't participate in the outdoor dining program is the cost
of constructing, deconstructing, and storing these outdoor dining sheds, that significant numbers of new businesses are going to participate in outdoor dining all across the city.
It's, I think, premature to give a precise number on that, but we think this is going to have a significant effect on participation across the city.
It could very well be.
And, you know, I think to Kevin's earlier question, you know, it's also about improving the bureaucracy.
It's been a really painful process for restaurants to interface with the Department of Transportation over the last few years, incredibly slow and challenging to get permits approved.
And, you know, while I support kind of creating uniformity between the sidewalk cafe and roadway dining application process, the COGE Commission also set really ambitious targets for streamlining the DOT approval process on the back end.
And the proof will be in the pudding whether they can actually deliver.
whether they're going to invest in the additional staff, improve their management and their outcomes so that restaurants are able to participate more easily.
If DOT steps up and can deliver a more effective program, I think more restaurants will choose to participate as well.
And the only thing I want to just add on that is that, and that's really what oversight is for.
I used to chair the Consumer Protection Committee.
We had several oversight hearings when this program was rolled out.
In the first year of the program, I believe the statistic was only 10% of the small businesses had their full approval, not the conditional approval, but the full approval.
So to Councilmember Ressler's point, we're going to continue to monitor that.
I frankly, from the outset, had concerns about giving an outdoor dining program to a transit agency, but that decision, that ship has sailed, and that decision was made several years ago.
There's no more questions?
I can't hear.