Greenville, NC Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Greenville's Uptown Outdoor Dining Permit, City Code §§ 6-2-60 to 6-2-68 (Title 6, Chapter 2, Article E), lets a restaurant already operating inside the mapped Uptown Outdoor Dining Area put removable tables, chairs, planters and furnishings on the public sidewalks and alleys in front of or beside its space. Section 6-2-61 makes it unlawful to operate outdoor dining on a public sidewalk or alley there without that permit. The application under § 6-2-62 must include a scaled sketch plan reviewed by Police, Fire/Rescue, Engineering and Planning and Development Services; proof of state ABC and city beer/wine licenses if alcohol is served; a $1,000,000 minimum liability policy naming the city (and NCDOT where applicable) as additional insured; and, if the layout reaches an adjoining property, written permission from that abutting owner.

or chained against the storefront, five feet (60 inches) of unobstructed sidewalk must remain for pedestrian and ADA passage, temporary barriers are capped at three feet of all-metal construction, no tents, cash registers, flooring, electrical cords or food-holding equipment are allowed outdoors, and the operation cannot sit on a roadway posted above 45 mph. Permit holders also take on upkeep duties under § 6-2-64, keeping the area clean, protecting the right-of-way from damage, and standing ready under § 6-2-64(F) to suspend outdoor dining whenever the city or NCDOT needs to build, maintain or repair the street, sidewalk or utilities there. Under § 6-2-65 the permit is non-transferable and runs on a calendar year, expiring every December 31 regardless of issue date.