Margate, FL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 40.622 of the Margate Land Development Code covers every walkway cafe in the city. The cafe must sit adjacent to the primary business, and a minimum four-foot clear pedestrian passage has to be measured and kept open even when every chair and table is occupied. The seating area is defined with an appropriate barrier. If fence material is used, it can be no taller than three feet and must be at least 75 percent see-through, and that limit applies notwithstanding the regular wall and fence rules.

The application package is heavy. The applicant files a walkway cafe application form, photographs, drawings or manufacturer brochures of every table, chair and umbrella, and a signed hold harmless and indemnity statement for the City, its officers and employees. Public liability, food products liability and property damage insurance must each carry at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, and a cafe that serves alcohol adds $1,000,000 per occurrence in liquor liability coverage. The City and its officers and employees are named as additional insured, each policy needs 30 calendar days' written notice by certified mail before cancellation or material change, and the insurer must be licensed in Florida with an A.M. Best financial stability rating of B+ to A+.

Parking depends on size: a cafe under 1,000 square feet needs no additional parking, while one over 1,000 square feet must provide parking. Cooking on the sidewalk is prohibited except temporary mobile equipment used to finish meals substantially prepared inside, and that equipment comes off the sidewalk the moment it is not in use. Televisions are allowed in the dining area. Speakers can play only the same music heard inside, and only if it cannot be heard in the public right-of-way; public address systems are prohibited. Umbrellas can carry logos up to four square feet, and hours can never exceed the principal restaurant's hours.

When the National Weather Service style advisory for hazardous weather is issued, all outdoor furniture must be removed from the dining area. Nothing can be chained or attached to a tree, post, sign, curb or sidewalk. The City can order temporary removal for street, sidewalk or utility repairs and can relocate everything in an emergency without liability for the pieces it moves.