Royal Oak, MI Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Royal Oak's outdoor cafe ordinance, § 770-70, lets a restaurant or other food establishment that sells food for immediate consumption set up seating outdoors, but only on the private property of its own principal use, not in the public right-of-way or a parking lane. Service is limited to the restaurant's normal operating hours, so a cafe cannot stay open past closing even if the main dining room shuts down. All food preparation, including cooking, must occur inside the building; the outdoor area is for service and seating only.

If the restaurant serves alcohol at the outdoor tables, the current Liquor Control Commission Rules and Regulations govern that service in addition to the City's zoning conditions. Because the cafe adds seating capacity, its gross area counts toward the site's required off-street parking calculation, which can force a restaurant to secure additional spaces before opening. No music, intercom or other noise from the cafe area may impact adjacent properties. During site plan review, the Plan Commission decides whether screening or fencing around the cafe is necessary, and cafe service areas must otherwise comply with every regulation that applies to the underlying restaurant building itself.

There is no separate provision in the Zoning Ordinance for cafe seating placed in the public right-of-way or a street parking lane; § 770-70 only reaches seating on the restaurant's own private property.