Akron, OH Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Akron Code of Ordinances Section 98.05 lets an owner or operator of a business that serves food and beverage occupy part of a public sidewalk with a sidewalk cafe, but only after getting a permit from the Director of Public Service. The application goes to the Plans and Permit Center and must include a site plan showing table and chair layout, pedestrian diverters, fire exits, hours of operation, proof of any liquor permit or expansion permit filed with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, and a signed hold-harmless and indemnification statement naming the City of Akron. The applicant must also carry at least $1,000,000 in public liability and property damage insurance (or a combined single limit of $1,000,000) that names the City as an additional insured and cannot be canceled without thirty days' written notice.

The fee is $300 per sidewalk cafe, dropping to $50 for a renewal application identical in all material terms to the prior approved application, with no proration based on filing date. Permits run only through December 31 of the issuance year regardless of when they are granted. Physical layout rules are specific: no obstruction of emergency exits or standpipes, no placement within 44 inches of the curb, none within six feet of a fire hydrant, five feet of a driveway, or three feet of a sidewalk or handicap ramp, and none where the resulting clear pedestrian path would fall below six feet. Permits must be posted in the business window and are distinguishable from the state's liquor permits. Permittees must obey a police or emergency officer's order to clear tables during an emergency, keep the area free of litter and snow, and cannot transfer the permit except to a subsequent business owner.