Amherst, NY Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Amherst's Zoning Ordinance treats a restaurant with outdoor dining as a use permitted in the applicable zoning district's use table, but only if it meets the standards in § 6-4-9. A minimum five-foot clear walkway along the curb leading to the entrance must stay free of tables and other impediments, and the operator must provide adequate trash receptacles in the outdoor dining area. L. No. 21-2017), up to 24 outdoor seats do not have to be counted when calculating the restaurant's minimum required off-street parking, which lets smaller patios skip a parking-lot expansion.

Outdoor dining hours are capped at 6 AM to 10 PM Sunday through Thursday and 6 AM to 11 PM Friday and Saturday; patrons already seated may finish meals and beverages served before the cutoff, but the ordinance is explicit that outdoor dining is otherwise prohibited outside those windows. L. No. 34-2011), which routes the request through the Town's special-use review rather than letting staff approve it administratively. Every designated seating area must sit on a hardscaped surface; a lawn picnic area is allowed only if it incorporates hardscaped accessible elements, and all seating and tables must be set back at least 10 feet from any rear or interior property line, keeping patios away from neighboring residential lots.