Ogden, UT Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Ogden City Code section 7-2-13 bars any seating, tables or dining furnishings in the public way without first obtaining a sidewalk use permit from the Community and Economic Development director, and separately requires a sidewalk sale permit for displaying goods for sale there. Sidewalk use is limited to ground-level retail or dining establishments in the C-ENT, C-MU, H25, C-9 and MU zoning districts, and the dining or display area must sit directly in front of the establishment's own space, at least five feet from an adjacent business entrance and two feet from the curb line, with a five foot unobstructed pedestrian passageway maintained at all times.

Furnishings must be movable and removed during non-business hours and adverse weather unless the operator has also obtained an encroachment permit under section 7-4-2 and installed a semipermanent barrier fence at least three feet six inches high made of finished decorative metal. Businesses in the 25th Street historic district additionally need a certificate of historic appropriateness from the Ogden City landmarks commission before installing sidewalk dining furnishings, awnings or signage. Music from the dining area is prohibited, and the area must be kept clean of litter at the operator's expense.

Owners and operators may display goods or seat customers within the two-foot strip nearest their property line without any permit, so long as the five foot pedestrian passageway remains open.