Saint Paul, MN Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

01(b) lets a restaurant already licensed under Chapter 331A apply for a sidewalk café license and a right-of-way obstruction permit to expand onto the part of the public sidewalk directly abutting its own licensed premises, no more. The application goes to the director of safety and inspections on city forms, accompanied by a scaled site plan showing the property line, curbs, existing right-of-way obstructions, and the exact placement of tables, chairs, plant tubs, planters, and fencing, developed cooperatively with both Public Works and Safety and Inspections; all license fees, permit fees, and service-availability charges must be paid before approval.

Detailed site-plan standards follow: a barrier such as a planter or railing where the café sits next to a traffic lane, a physically delineated café area, no blocking of normal pedestrian flow, ADA-compliant emergency egress, and, where possible, a 24-inch clear zone from the curb face and periodic 72-inch-wide passing zones for wheelchairs or strollers. 04 surfacing conditions are also met. Furnishings besides plant tubs must come off the sidewalk when the café isn't open, alcohol service requires the establishment's own liquor license plus reasonable steps, barriers, staff supervision, or monitoring, to keep drinks on the licensed premises, and the operator must carry liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured before the exemption takes effect.

Crucially, the city can impose new restrictions or revoke approval at any time to protect public health, safety, or welfare, or to stop a nuisance, without the adverse-action hearing procedures that apply to other license actions.