Mural City Cellars co-owner Nicholas Ducos said he’s been trying to get a permit for picnic tables outside his Fishtown winery for the past year. He and his team have had to seek approval from Licenses and Inspections, the Streets Department, multiple neighborhood associations and City Council. They were also asked to develop plans with an architect, which cost over $1,500, and provide the city paperwork via a CD-ROM, all to no avail.
“We’re not afraid of hard work,” Ducos said during public comment at Thursday’s City Council meeting. “There are a lot of things difficult about running a business in Philadelphia, but this should not be one.”
Ducos was one of many speakers who came out to support Councilmember Rue Landau’s sidewalk cafe bill. The legislation, which was approved unanimously, makes it easier for restaurant owners to get approval for permits to add tables and chairs outside their establishments.
There are currently 288 active licenses for sidewalk cafes in Philadelphia, according to L&I’s dashboard of business licenses. Among other provisions, the bill expands on areas in the city where restaurant owners can set up a sidewalk cafe without the need for permit approval from City Council. That “by-right” designation now extends to corridors including sections of Washington Avenue, Market Street, Ridge Avenue, Point Breeze Avenue, West Passyunk Avenue and anything within the Manayunk Special Services District.
The legislation codifies a few rules, including that sidewalk cafes can’t operate between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It also says that restaurant owners can apply for a cafe on a sidewalk that touches an adjacent property as long as it’s approved by the other property owner and clear sidewalk space is maintained.
“After months of district council tours, listening sessions, community and RCO (registered community organizations) meetings and cross-collaboration, this bill is going to be monumental for our small businesses, our neighborhood vibrancy and the safety of our streets,” Landau said Thursday.
Proponents of the bill noted that sidewalk cafes could be crucial for 2026, when the city expects an influx of tourists for events including the World Cup, MLB All-Star Game and semiquincentennial celebrations honoring America’s 250th birthday. A report from Airbnb released Wednesday predicted that 149,000 people would visit Philadelphia next summer for the World Cup alone.
The legislation does not apply to streeteries, which are more permanent structures for outdoor dining that gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. After City Council approved legislation to make streeteries permanent, restaurants were hit with a regulation crackdown and only 28 are active today — down from 800 at the height of the pandemic.
The sidewalk cafe bill now awaits the mayor’s signature.