Tamarac, FL Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 10-3.4(D)(10) of the Land Development Code lets a restaurant or bar in the City of Tamarac place tables, chairs and umbrellas on the sidewalk directly in front of its own storefront as an accessory use, with outdoor seating limited to the same operating hours as the indoor establishment. Sound equipment inside the seating area cannot run louder than needed for conversation among the patrons using it, and food preparation has to stay inside the enclosed building; nothing may be cooked or stored outdoors. Before opening the sidewalk section, the operator must enter into a revocable license agreement with the City, reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney.

That agreement makes the operator responsible for the sidewalk furniture's upkeep, requires liability insurance, and indemnifies the City against any claim for injury connected to the sidewalk dining area. A pedestrian path at least five feet wide has to stay open along the sidewalk and into the restaurant's entrance, and the seating cannot come within five feet of an alley, crosswalk or fire hydrant. The seating cannot spread past the frontage of the restaurant's own lot unless a neighboring property owner agrees in writing. The City can order tables removed or relocated, at the operator's expense, for sidewalk repairs or a Code violation. Tamarac's Community Development Department administers site plan and accessory-use compliance, while Code Compliance and the Special Magistrate handle a violation once it is cited.