NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Dining outside is a sign of spring in the city.
Roadside cafes will return to New York City streets on April 1st. This year, they will have a different look.
The structures cannot be enclosed buildings. The barriers are filled with water and the area under the floor must be accessible to clean.
In response to community feedback after the pandemic, the City Council and Mayor Adams’ administration created a new program that will take effect this year.
Roadside dining is seasonal and runs through November 29th. Street structures must be removable.
Approved sidewalk cafes can be in use all year.
The NYC Department of Transportation is working to process about 4,000 applications.
Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez says dozens of DOT staff members are reviewing them and connecting with community boards, which review applications. That’s part of the new process this year.
Businesses and restaurants can submit applications at any time during the year.
Following city specifications, owners can build their own structure, hire a contractor, or rent/buy a model kit from vendors. More than two dozen design companies are listed on the city’s marketplace website for the program.
At Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the team from a company called RE-PLY demonstrated some features.
Structures can be rented for less than a thousand dollars a month. Some offers also include set up and storage after the season.
NYC Hospitality Alliance says too few businesses have applied and too few have been approved as of now.
In an interview with PIX11 News, Hospitality Alliance Director Andrew Rigie said city staff was working on the paperwork, but the industry would continue to seek reforms.
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