St. Petersburg, FL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

4). The permit is a revocable license to use the sidewalk, not a property interest, and it exempts the holder from also needing a separate minor easement. 7 sets the review standards: a permit goes only to a business that has paid its City business tax and wants tables and chairs on the sidewalk directly abutting its own storefront; the café is restricted to that frontage unless the operator gets written permission from neighboring owners and tenants for any additional frontage. Sidewalks must be at least ten feet wide, though the POD can approve widths down to eight feet if safety concerns are addressed, variances below that are not available.

At least one five-foot-wide pedestrian path must stay clear parallel to the storefront, plus a 42-inch path connecting the sidewalk to the curb, two-foot clearances at entrances, and a four-foot setback from the curb line. 6 requires $500,000 in commercial general liability coverage naming the City as additional insured, workers' compensation coverage, and an insurer rated at least B+ VI, running October 1 through September 30 each year. 8 cap café hours at the abutting business's own operating hours (the City can restrict hours further next to residential uses), ban attaching furniture to trees, posts or signs, require written notice to the City within 24 hours of opening, and bar any food preparation, cooking, or refrigeration equipment on the sidewalk itself. In the CCT-2 and DC zoning districts, no café furniture may extend past the building edge or property line at a street intersection.