Kalamazoo, MI Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Kalamazoo City Code § 50-4.5D(10) recognizes the sidewalk cafe as an accessory use permitted with development standards, defining it as outdoor eating areas located within the right-of-way and on the associated property. The ordinance's first requirement is a clear pedestrian pathway of at least five feet, kept free of tables, chairs and other obstacles; that pathway must sit adjacent to the building facade unless the City Planner approves a different configuration. The second requirement applies specifically once the cafe extends into the public right-of-way: the operator must obtain a temporary encroachment permit from the City of Kalamazoo before placing tables or seating there. Because a sidewalk cafe is a use permitted with development standards rather than by right, it applies only in the districts where that designation appears on the permitted lot type table, and Community Planning and Economic Development reviews the layout for compliance with the pathway and permit requirements before service can begin on the sidewalk.