Dubuque, IA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Dubuque City Code sections 10-3E-1 through 10-3E-7 govern sidewalk cafes: a public right of way seating area with tables, chairs, barriers and trash containers for an establishment holding a valid food and drink permit. Under section 10-3E-2, a sidewalk cafe is allowed only where restaurants are a permitted or accessory zoning use, must be contiguous with the front of the business, and is limited to restaurants or retail businesses where more than fifty percent of prior-year revenue came from selling food, drink or retail items.

Section 10-3E-3 requires the restaurant owner to file an application with the city manager, pay a fee the city manager sets, and carry a certificate of insurance naming the city as held harmless; a new permit runs for one twelve-month period. The city manager can revoke the permit on written notice for a liquor law violation, any code violation, or a safety, health or nuisance hazard, or to reclaim the right of way for a public purpose. Section 10-3E-4 requires four feet of unobstructed sidewalk for pedestrians, keeps tables ten feet from a disabled ramp and away from street corners, and requires the area be cleared and restored each night.

Section 10-3E-5 limits operation to 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Sunday through Thursday and 7:00 A.M. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and bars operating when the kitchen is closed. Section 10-3E-6 bans amplified sound. Section 10-3E-7 caps the enclosure barricade between thirty and forty inches and adds an Ice Harbor design standard for cafes inside the Port of Dubuque PUD district.