Fort Worth, TX Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Under City Code § 20-354(a), it is unlawful to sell, vend, operate or serve any item from a sidewalk café without a valid permit issued by the director of planning and development; the encroachment committee has no authority to issue these permits. A sidewalk café must abut and be contiguous to a restaurant that handles its food preparation and sanitation, and both the health department and planning and development must inspect the café before a permit issues. Acceptance of the permit is 'a privilege, not a right,' and the permittee must agree to police an area extending 15 feet in every direction from the café for trash and debris.

Section 20-354(b) requires comprehensive general liability insurance of at least $500,000 combined single limit per occurrence with a $1,000,000 annual aggregate, plus $500,000 in liquor liability coverage if alcohol is served, filed with the city secretary. Section 20-353 lets the city impose additional health-and-safety conditions. Standards under § 20-354(c) require at least 8 feet of clear, unobstructed pedestrian passage (6 feet is allowed on sidewalks under 10 feet wide with a supporting traffic study), bar fixed walls (temporary barriers only, 3 feet tall or less), require the café to stay open to the air, and ban disposable plates, cups or utensils.

Section 20-356 lists exact no-build zones: within 3 feet of a marked crosswalk, 12 feet of an unmarked crosswalk's curb return, 5 feet of a fire hydrant or driveway, or 2 feet of the curbline. Section 20-357 limits operating hours to the attached restaurant's normal hours, and § 20-358 sets the permit fee per the building code, valid one year, renewable under § 20-359 after review of complaint and inspection history.