Eagan, MN Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Subdivision 29 keeps a restaurant patio out of the public right-of-way entirely, including sidewalks, trails, boulevards and streets, and requires a minimum four-foot-wide path to stay clear for pedestrians and building entry at all times; a patio cannot spill into parking or drive areas either. The area has to be fully accessible and cannot cut off accessibility elsewhere on site, and it must be kept clean, with no outdoor food or drink storage unless the city has approved a storage plan. Hours track the restaurant's own interior hours but can never run between 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., and if the patio needed a conditional use permit or planned development approval to begin with, the council can impose even tighter hours, noise, or entertainment restrictions, including barring music, radio or television outright, based on how close the patio sits to housing.

A fence is mandatory once seating reaches 24 persons or if alcohol is served outdoors, and any fencing plan has to be submitted with the site plan for city review. Serving alcohol also requires an on-sale liquor license that specifically covers the outdoor area under chapter 5 of the code. Parking has its own add-on: one additional stall for every 12 seats beyond the first 24 outdoor seats, on top of the restaurant's normal parking requirement, and any added sewer availability charges triggered by the extra seating must be paid before the patio opens for business.