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

425 confines sidewalk seating to the downtown as delineated in the city's downtown development standards and guidelines, and requires an encroachment permit from the public works director before any tables, chairs or related furniture go on the sidewalk. Subsection (B) sets the physical rules: a minimum four-foot unobstructed sidewalk must remain for pedestrians at all times, no seating area may block access to a building, all furniture must be removable and must come off the sidewalk if the business closes for more than forty-eight hours (unless the director approves otherwise), umbrellas must be secured to a table, chair or the ground, and no signs are allowed except those required for public health or safety.

Subsection (C) requires the permittee to keep the seating area and adjoining street, curb and gutter neat and clean, including providing trash receptacles. Subsection (D) adds special rules where the sidewalk seating serves alcohol: drinks may only be served where the seating is tied to an actual restaurant whose floor space is primarily devoted to food preparation and dining rather than a bar; the seating area must be physically separated from the rest of the sidewalk by a barrier meeting Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control requirements; no bar is allowed in the seating area; empty containers must be cleared promptly; and the operator needs both a city use permit and an ABC license, kept current for as long as alcohol is served.

Subsection (F) lets the director suspend or shut down a sidewalk seating area at any time for conflicts such as festivals, street repairs, demonstrations or emergencies, giving written notice where possible.