New Britain, CT Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

New Britain's Zoning Ordinance addresses restaurant patios and sidewalk-style dining through § 170-50-40, part of the Supplemental Regulations for the Central Business District (CBD) and CBD-R zones adopted June 26, 2008 (Item #30065-3). Outdoor dining is allowed only as an accessory use tied to a permitted or special-exception restaurant, not as a freestanding business. Subsection .10 keeps dining spaces out of any required rear, side, or transitional yard that abuts a residential zoning district, though ground-level patios, decks, or terraces are allowed elsewhere if they meet zoning, building, and fire code standards.

Subsection .20 requires tables and seating to stay movable, bars fixed furniture that blocks building egress, and keeps the space open on the sides except for conforming fencing or required guardrails; any permanent or semi-permanent roof, awning, or overhang covering the seating must still meet building, zoning, and fire code rules. Subsection .30 is the sidewalk-specific limit: no outdoor dining area can encroach onto the City's sidewalk right-of-way unless the Bureau of Public Works specifically permits it, putting sidewalk seating under Public Works sign-off rather than automatic zoning approval.

Subsection .40 adds a plan-review step: if setting up the dining space involves permanent construction or a substantial structural change, the Director of Licenses, Permits and Inspections requires a plot plan prepared under § 280-60 before the permits and approvals needed to proceed are issued.