Issaquah, WA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

A sidewalk cafe in Issaquah is defined in IMC 12.05.050 as a portion of the sidewalk area in which tables and chairs are placed for patrons consuming food or beverages, which can include alcoholic beverages, operated by a food service establishment located on abutting property. IMC 12.05.020 requires a sidewalk use permit for the operation of one, and 12.05.010 confines the program to sidewalk beside a ground-floor retail business, cafe or other food service establishment with an active business license. The Public Works Director or a designee reviews applications under 12.05.040 and can set the number and placement of tables and chairs and the hours and dates of use.

The permit term is set in 12.05.060(C): it expires automatically at the end of three calendar years, inclusive of the year of issue, when the business changes ownership, or when the business license expires and is not renewed within seven days. The application must disclose whether liquor is proposed to be sold or consumed, and plans for heating appliances, tables, chairs, railings, demarcations and fences. Under 12.05.090(A), commercial banners and pennants for sidewalk cafes are prohibited unless authorized under Chapter 18.612, Signs. Under 12.05.090(B), liquor can be consumed or sold at a sidewalk cafe only if authorized by the permit issued by the King County Health Department and all applicable licenses, permits or approvals from the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

The operating rules in 12.05.080 apply too. The cafe area cannot be wider than the storefront or tenant space, the permittee keeps the sidewalk and adjoining public places free of refuse, four feet of sidewalk stays clear for pedestrians, and fence-free demarcation can replace physical barriers where liquor is served, per WAC 314-03-200(3). The permittee must carry commercial general liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 general aggregate (12.05.100).