#NYC to enter Phase 2 reopening Monday with expanded outdoor dining

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Diners sit and eat at tables on the sidewalk outside Chela in Park Slope.
Annie Wermiel

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s outdoor dining plan will expand restaurant seating to sidewalks, curb lanes in streets, plazas and open streets during Phase 2 reopening, which starts Monday, and the dining plan will continue through at least Labor Day.

The executive order, which the mayor unveiled during his daily briefing Thursday, will also expedite the approval process for bars and restaurants to provide outdoor service.

The “Open Restaurants” plan allows eateries to choose among five options: curb lane seating, sidewalk seating, and backyard and patio seating starting Monday. Dining in streets closed to traffic during the pandemic as well as seating in plazas will be allowed on nights and weekends starting in July.

Sidewalk seating extends through the end of October and curb lane seating through Labor Day, according to the draft release.

“The Dept. of Transportation will work with community groups and partner agencies to identify additional seating within full streets closures in July,” the release says.

“Restaurants can work with their local Business Improvement District and DOT to request additional seating in plazas,” the release says.

A strict set of rules govern the new plan. For example, outdoor seating cannot stretch beyond a business’s storefront, tables must not go beyond eight feet depth of the curb lane and cannot block bus stops, no standing or stopping zones, doorways or fire hydrants.

The guidance also requires an eight-foot clear path between seating and the curb, social distancing, and traffic barriers