Colorado Springs, CO Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

304L, 'Outdoor Seating or Dining, Accessory,' governs any restaurant, café, or bar in Colorado Springs that wants to extend seating onto the public sidewalk or right-of-way rather than keeping it entirely on private property. Two requirements apply: first, the business must maintain a clear pedestrian access route within the public right-of-way at least five feet wide around the seating area at all times, so tables, chairs, planters, or railings can't be arranged in a way that narrows the walkable path below five feet. Second, placing any outdoor seating or dining area within the public right-of-way requires a Revocable Permit, a permit the City can rescind, distinguishing it from a standard building or zoning permit.

213 (Surface Uses), which lists sidewalk sales, awnings, benches, and similar right-of-way improvements as revocable-permit uses and layers on a citywide condition that no such device or structure may occupy more than one-fifth of the width of any paved sidewalk, may not interrupt vehicular or pedestrian traffic flow, and may not interfere with parking meters, bus stops, or other fixtures. Because the permit is revocable, the City retains the right to require removal of tables and enclosures on short notice if the right-of-way is needed for construction, an event, or a public-safety concern, and the permittee bears the cost of installation, maintenance, and removal.