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

Chapter 45, Article IV of the Norwalk Code, adopted May 24, 2005 and rewritten in its entirety on February 22, 2022, governs outdoor dining citywide. Under § 45-30, a food service establishment (any fixed-location business preparing or selling food and drink to the public, including holders of a state restaurant or cafe liquor license) may place tables directly adjacent to its own storefront only after obtaining an annual permit from the Director of Planning and Zoning or a designee, issued under the Norwalk Zoning Regulations.

If the adjacent real property is not owned by the establishment, the operator must first get the property owner's written permission. m. The Director may deny, refuse to renew, or revoke a permit if the establishment violates the outdoor dining guidelines, fails to correct a cited violation, is delinquent on City taxes, or has two or more Code violations, including Chapter 68 Noise violations, in the two years before applying. Once operating, § 45-31 requires the establishment to keep the dining area clean, cover all setup and maintenance costs itself, repair any damage to the sidewalk, curbing, or right-of-way at its own expense to Department of Public Works standards, and comply with the ADA and all local and state building, health, and zoning laws. Tables cannot extend past the establishment's own street frontage or block fire hydrants, first-responder access, drainage, or an active driveway.