New York City restaurant owners who spent thousands on outdoor sheds have rejected Eric Adams’ crackdown on pandemic-era seating, as new rules move to do away with nearly all existing structures.
The new plan will eliminate shed-like outdoor dining structures and limit the amount of time outdoor dining is allowed on New York streets.
The new program called Dining Out NYC was officially approved Friday and requires outdoor seating areas to have “lighter” setups that are “easy to assemble and disassemble.”
Restaurants that use roadways for outdoor seating can only remain open from April to November, while sidewalk dining areas can remain open year-round.
Many restaurants will now be forced to remove the structures that have expanded their capacity and operations in recent years — sheds that in some places already cost $25,000 or more to build.
Brianna, a manager at Little Ruby’s Cafe in the East Village, told DailyMail.com that the plan will cost the business “more to tear down and put back up,” as their outdoor seating area is currently a large enclosed structure with heating , window paneling and tasteful decor.
The new program called Dining Out NYC was officially approved Friday and requires outdoor seating to have “lighter” setups that are “easy to assemble and disassemble”: Pictured: A view of the new outdoor seating requirements
Little Ruby’s Cafe in the East Village told DailyMail.com that the plan will cost the company “more to take down and put back up.” Pictured: the restaurant’s large, enclosed outdoor structure
Under the new plan, patios can remain in place all year round, but must have a perimeter around seating, canopies, umbrellas, lighting and heating and cooling sources. Pictured: A view of approved sidewalk structures
She added that the new requirements are a real disappointment for the Australian restaurant which has been using outdoor space year-round since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Restaurants interested in still having outdoor spaces in the Big Apple will have to apply. Registrations will be rolled out in March and will be open until August 3.
Luxury eateries will also be affected by the big change, such as the exclusive Italian restaurant Carbone in Greenwich Village.
The large outdoor dining area, decorated with a navy blue canopy and red curtains, will no longer be allowed once the new guidelines come into effect in March.
“The new program is based on lessons learned from the temporary outdoor dining program created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saved 100,000 jobs in the city but led to quality of life issues as some of the restaurant owners were unable to provide loosely regulated outdoor dining,” according to a news release from the mayor’s office.
The new “fair compensation structures” will cost businesses an annual fee based on the length and width of their property’s sidewalk or roadway.
Luxury eateries will also be affected by the big change, such as the exclusive Italian restaurant Carbone in Greenwich Village.
Kimura, a Japanese restaurant in the East Village, has used this heated shed for outdoor dining since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and said it also doubles as extra seating space for customers because their restaurant is small
No new closed structures may be built and only areas with tables, chairs, parasols, canopies, electrical connections, drainage and barriers may be equipped and made wheelchair accessible.
Optional additions to the outdoor space include heating, cooling, lighting, screening and flooring.
The outdoor structures will also need to be equipped with proper drainage and barriers, and will have to close their operations at 12:00 PM, as opposed to the typical 1:00 AM.
Terraces must have a perimeter around seats, canopies and parasols. Lighting and heating and cooling sources are optional.
Takuya Shinohara, a manager at Kimura in the East Village, told DailyMail.com they’re not entirely sure what they’ll do with their outdoor shed once the new rules take effect.
While they wait to see what other businesses decide to do, Shinohara said the wooden shed has been in use since the start of the pandemic and has provided additional seating for customers since the inside of the Japanese restaurant is quite cramped.
Another well-known restaurant, Old John’s Luncheonette near Lincoln Square, will also have to decide what to do with their large, enclosed street dining area.
Old John’s Luncheonette near Lincoln Square will also have to decide what to do with their large, enclosed street-side dining area, which cost about $20,000 to build
Brianna, a manager at Little Ruby’s Cafe, told DailyMail.com that the company spent a lot of time and money constructing their outdoor seating area with heating, lighting and decoration.
The New York Post In May, the retro-style restaurant’s owner, Ricardo Palofox, reported that his 24 outdoor seats accounted for 40 percent of the restaurant’s sales.
He added the cabin-like enclosure that cost him about $20,000 to build and which, if torn down, “could lose customers who came just for that.”
The new regulations are intended to create a ‘lighter’ experience across the city.
“Between Dining Out NYC, our campaign to take trash bags off the streets of New York City, our efforts to remove scaffolding that has been up for far too long, and the hundreds of millions we are investing in public projects across the city, we are transforming fundamentally what it feels like to be outside in New York,” Adams said in a statement.
Rosanna Scotto, the co-owner of Fresco by Scotto, located on East 52nd Street, told the New York Post that the new rules would cause a huge financial setback for the restaurant’s outdoor dining area.
The large area called ‘Isle of Capri’, worth $150,000, was created in 2021 by Scotto and her sister Elaina.
‘It is not only made of wood, but also of metal and concrete. There are heaters, fans and flowers,” Scotto said.
Maureen Donohue-Peters, the owner of Donohue’s Steakhouse on Lexington Avenue, said her 40-seat shed has brought in 35 percent of the restaurant’s sales.
“If I lost that and couldn’t get it back into the restaurant, it would force me to think about other options, including closure,” she said.