Homestead, FL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Homestead allows sidewalk and open-air cafes only as an ancillary use tied to an existing restaurant in the B-1 and B-2 zoning districts, never as a stand-alone business, under City Code § 30-419. Two tracks apply. An open-air cafe on the restaurant's own private property needs administrative approval from the Department of Development Services plus architectural review board sign-off on a full site plan, and it cannot exceed 30 percent of the primary restaurant's operating area, cannot use counter or self-service, and must keep all kitchen equipment inside the restaurant's kitchen.

A sidewalk cafe extending onto the public sidewalk or right-of-way is available only in the Krome Avenue corridor within the city's arts, entertainment and antiques district, and needs its own annual, non-transferable permit costing $250, renewable each year by Development Services. That permit requires at least 5 feet of clear sidewalk, or half the sidewalk's width if greater, kept free of tables, chairs and obstructions for pedestrians; no awnings or canopies beyond table umbrellas; no perimeter fences, railings or planters; and a $1 million public liability and food-products liability policy naming the city as additional insured.

The city manager can suspend a sidewalk cafe for special events, utility or road repairs, or emergencies, and Development Services can revoke the permit outright for a violation or a finding of nuisance.