Columbia, MO Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Under Columbia, Missouri's (Boone County) Code of Ordinances § 24-2(a), a restaurant, coffee shop or other food-and-beverage business may place tables, chairs or seating on the adjacent sidewalk only after filing a plan with the director of public works showing the business name, owners, a scaled diagram of the layout, and a statement that furniture will be stored when not in use. The operator must keep an unobstructed, ADA-compliant pathway at least sixty (60) inches wide along the sidewalk. Furniture must be portable unless the city council grants a right-of-use permit, and any area serving alcohol must be enclosed by a bollard or picket barrier thirty-six to forty-three inches high.