Huntington Beach, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

74, Outdoor Facilities, governs sidewalk cafes as part of the city's broader outdoor storage and display standards. Subsection A specifically authorizes "sidewalk cafés with alcoholic beverage service and/or outdoor food service accessory to an eating and drinking establishment" only where the operator first obtains a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Zoning Administrator, and only within the CO (office commercial), CG (general commercial), CV (visitor commercial), OS (open space), and SP (specific plan) districts. The same sentence draws a hard line on preparation: "no outdoor preparation of food or beverages shall be permitted," meaning cooking, mixing drinks, or similar preparation activity has to stay inside even when seating and service happen outside.

Subsection B gives the Zoning Administrator authority to impose conditions such as required yards, screening, or planting areas to prevent adverse impacts on surrounding properties, and directs an outright denial of the CUP application if those impacts cannot be prevented through conditions. 94, which covers freestanding vendor carts rather than table service tied to an existing eating and drinking establishment. A sidewalk cafe applicant should expect the CUP hearing to weigh noise, seating capacity, pedestrian clearance on the adjacent sidewalk, and compatibility with neighboring uses before the Zoning Administrator issues findings.