Bossier City, LA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

The Unified Development Code treats an outdoor eating, drinking, or smoking area as an accessory use to a lounge or bona fide eating establishment under Section 6.6.3 of Appendix A, and it applies whether the tables sit on private property or spill into the public right-of-way. Operators who want to use the sidewalk itself must first get permission from the appropriate jurisdiction, meaning city street department or MPC staff review that accompanies a sign or accessory-use application. Once approved, the code sets hard physical limits: a 6-foot clear path between the seating area and the curb so pedestrians are not forced into the street, and a 15-foot radial clearance at any corner where two streets intersect.

The seating area itself must be enclosed by a temporary or permanent decorative wall or fence at least 3 feet high, built so patrons cannot wander in or out except through the establishment. Kitchen facilities are barred from the outdoor area unless the operator secures Conditional Use approval through the Section 3.3.2 hearing process before the Metropolitan Planning Commission. Awnings and umbrellas are allowed but must be retractable, securely anchored, and code-compliant; permanent roofs are not allowed if the area sits in a required yard.

Live entertainment or dancing outdoors likewise requires a separate Conditional Use approval. Furnishings are limited to movable tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters, lights, and heaters, and any freestanding lighting is prohibited outright; string or accent lighting must be fixed to the building front. Everything movable has to come off the sidewalk in the off-season. Operating hours are capped citywide at 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. No trash enclosure may be placed on, adjacent to, or separate from the seating area on a public sidewalk, and all refuse storage has to stay screened from public view.