Bergenfield, NJ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Chapter 186's definitions section, § 186-3, defines RESTAURANT, OUTDOOR and then lists the operating conditions directly under that entry. Outdoor seating cannot be placed on a Borough or private sidewalk, or interfere with any public or private easement, without the Borough's written permission or that of the easement holder. Before service begins each year, the restaurant must file a drawing with the Building Department identifying the outdoor seating area and its ownership, pay a $100 fee, and get Building Department approval before serving any food outdoors; renewals require a new drawing and a new $100 fee each year.

The service area must be cordoned off from non-service areas without blocking building entrances or exits, and all tables need overhead covering such as awnings or umbrellas that carries no advertising. A hostess or waiter must supervise the area during operating hours, and any music played must comply with state and federal noise limits and not disturb neighboring property owners. No outdoor cooking is allowed, freestanding signs are banned (a one-foot-by-two-foot menu board is the only exception), and where the dining area abuts a residential zone the restaurant must install a six-foot solid fence plus a six- to eight-foot planted buffer with evergreen shrubs every four feet.

Outdoor tables cannot outnumber or out-size the restaurant's indoor tables, and the season runs only from April 15 through October 15 each year; alcohol service, where licensed, is restricted to indoor and cordoned-off areas.