Sun Prairie, WI Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

140(25) treats a sidewalk cafe as an accessory use tied to an adjacent indoor commercial entertainment establishment, and it can only run in the NC, SC, UC, CC and PD zoning districts. 040. Physically, the cafe has to sit on an impervious surface, leave at least four and one-half feet of clear, unobstructed sidewalk at every point for pedestrians, and stay within the sidewalk frontage of the licensed business. Seating areas must be enclosed by a stable, weatherproofed barrier between three and four feet tall; planter boxes are allowed as part of that enclosure, but hanging chains or ropes are not considered adequate.

Furnishings left in place when the cafe is closed for forty-eight hours or more must be removed from the right-of-way. 090. 08 and is responsible for policing its outdoor tables for compliance with that license. The operator must also agree in writing to maintain the right-of-way area and carry general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per person and $2,000,000 per occurrence naming the city as an additional insured. Because the permit is a privilege, not a right, the city can order equipment removed or relocated for scheduled festivals, parades or street repairs, and the common council can revoke the permit outright for violations or nuisance operation, barring a new application for that site for one year.