Auburn, AL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Article XII of the Auburn code applies to outdoor cafes in the city's urban core zoning district (§ 12-252). Before serving a single meal outside, the operator must apply to the city manager with scale drawings showing furniture placement, unobstructed pedestrian space, fire hydrants and utility fixtures nearby, and the square footage occupied, along with a $50 nonrefundable fee (§ 12-254). No food or drink may be prepared outdoors, and the cafe must sit contiguous to an indoor food-preparation establishment with five feet of unobstructed paved walkway maintained around it.

City staff reviews the application, and the full city council must hold a public hearing before approving or denying it (§ 12-255). If alcohol is served, it must come from the adjoining licensed restaurant and comply with State ABC Board rules, and any area where alcohol is consumed must be separated from the rest of the sidewalk by a divider between three and four feet high (§ 12-256, § 12-257(b)). The permit does not transfer with a change of ownership; a sale or transfer terminates it and requires a fresh application (§ 12-258).

Before any permit issues, the operator must file an indemnification statement and a certificate of general liability insurance with limits of at least $500,000 per occurrence and a $1,000,000 aggregate, naming the city as an additional insured (§ 12-260, § 12-261). Operators pay annual rent of $1 per square foot of cafe space, capped at $500, due with the business license renewal, and must keep the right-of-way free of litter and never block a building's fire exit (§ 12-262).