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

Section 11-71(e) gives the city manager authority to approve outdoor dining encroachments as set out by the policy and procedures for outdoor dining adopted by city council, placing sidewalk cafe approvals inside the broader right-of-way encroachment framework in Article III rather than requiring council action for each restaurant. Because an outdoor dining encroachment is still an encroachment into a street, easement, or public right-of-way for purposes of Section 11-71(a), a restaurant seeking sidewalk seating is folded into the same permit structure that governs other temporary uses of city-controlled property: the applicant must obtain a permit before placing tables or structures on the right-of-way and agree to indemnify the city for claims arising from the encroachment.

00 in lieu of insurance. The city manager, or a designee, retains discretion under Section 11-71(b)(5) to require additional coverage if the outdoor dining setup poses an unusual hazard, and the insurance requirements of the section supersede any conflicting provision elsewhere in the code.