Lafayette, LA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government issues outdoor dining permits only within the "D" Downtown zoning district (Sec. 78-401); the article covering pushcarts, parklets, outdoor dining and merchandise display does not reach restaurants elsewhere in the city or parish. Under Sec. 78-432, only a restaurant or "Snack or Beverage Bar" as defined at Sec. 89-21(d) may hold the permit, and the operator must keep the dining furniture inside the boundary shown on the permit, maintain clear building ingress/egress for fire-code access, and stay off the street curb unless the seating sits in a parklet.

Tables, chairs and equipment must come inside at closing every night, with narrow exceptions for parklet platforms or sidewalk areas separated and secured for after-hours storage. Alcohol service is allowed only with a Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control permit, and no bar may be located inside the outdoor area itself; empty glass bottles cannot leave the area except back into the restaurant. 00 per square foot in permit and renewal fees (Sec. 78-409), runs January 1 through December 31, and is issued by the designated permit manager -- the director of development and planning -- who can be appealed to the downtown management committee within ten days of a denial (Sec.

78-411). Operators must also file a hold-harmless statement and keep general liability insurance on file (Sec. 78-410), and the permit cannot be transferred to another person or moved to a new address (Sec. 78-414).