Schaumburg, IL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

64(D)(13) lets an existing restaurant set up temporary seasonal outdoor seating, but only between May 1 and November 1 of the calendar year, and only on an existing paved surface, typically by converting parking spaces into dining space. Up to ten parking stalls may be used for the outdoor dining area, though the director of community development can approve a larger area when several restaurants share one seating area. Wherever the outdoor seating serves alcohol, the restaurant must fence the area with a self-latching gate posted with a sign reading NO ALCOHOL BEYOND THIS POINT, and every outdoor dining area needs a physical barrier, such as planter boxes or metal fencing, separating diners from vehicle traffic; timbers and cinder blocks don't qualify.

At least five feet of clear space must stay open for pedestrian walkways and aisles through the seating area, and if the space is self-service, a trash receptacle has to be kept on-site. Outdoor tents are allowed seasonally, but flat-top tents are barred outright, and temporary structures like huts or sheds cannot be used at all. Once the village approves the layout, the restaurant must keep the seating area matching that approved plan, and the permit itself has to stay posted where customers can see it, near the restaurant's occupancy load sign and business license. 01, the annual community development permit for seasonal outdoor seating costs $50.