Brentwood, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Chapter 17.900 of the Brentwood Municipal Code governs outdoor dining and merchandise displays in the downtown (DT) zone, where restaurants place tables in the public right-of-way. Section 17.900.002 defines 'outdoor dining uses in the public right-of-way' as eating or drinking establishments serving ready-to-eat food or beverages with outdoor dining areas in or on the right-of-way, and Section 17.900.004 requires design review approval and an outdoor dining/merchandise display permit from the director of community development before one can operate, with notice sent to property owners and businesses within three hundred feet when alcohol will be served.

Section 17.900.005 sets the operating rules: a four-foot unobstructed sidewalk clearance must remain at all times, with an even larger clear zone around building doorways and corner lots; sidewalk decorative displays are capped at fifty square feet per business and must come down every night after business hours; umbrellas and heaters need seven feet of clearance and must be securely anchored; and plastic tables and chairs are banned outright. A restaurant serving alcohol outdoors needs a physical barrier no taller than three feet around the dining area, a posted sign, a valid ABC license, and police department sign-off, and cannot operate a bar in the outdoor area.

The director of public works or city engineer can suspend a sidewalk dining permit at any time for scheduled festivals, street repairs, or emergencies, and the director of community development can revoke a permit after a hearing if the operator fails to maintain the area or violates the alcohol-service standards. Permit fees follow the city's cost allocation plan under Section 17.900.005(N).