Palm Beach Gardens, FL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Sec. 78-191 of the Palm Beach Gardens Code treats outdoor seating as an accessory use to a restaurant, business, or institution that also serves food or beverages inside an enclosed area. To qualify, the outdoor area must connect directly to the enclosed portion of the business through a doorway, sit adjacent to and be owned or leased by that business, and not block public access to the enclosed restaurant, any other tenant in the same building, or shared common areas. Sec. 78-191(b) requires the seating to be reviewed either as part of an overall development order application or through an amendment called an Outdoor Dining Permit, and any outdoor bar visible from a public right-of-way needs separate city council approval.

Applicants submit a site plan showing tables, chairs, fencing or screening, adjacent walkways, and parking, along with written property-owner consent and an indemnification of the city. Parking is calculated separately for outdoor seating: areas without table service that stay under 25 percent of the restaurant's gross floor area are exempt from added parking, while larger or full-service outdoor areas must provide one parking space per 250 square feet of outdoor seating, subject to reduction if the applicant offers alternatives such as ride-share drop-off spaces. Sec.

78-191(c)(8) sets citywide hours for outdoor sales and service of food and beverages: prohibited between 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and between 11:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, a limit that does not apply to seating located in an inner courtyard. Outdoor seating must also meet ADA accessibility standards and all applicable building, fire, and safety codes under Sec. 78-191(c)(1).