Taylor, MI Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 7.07, Sidewalk displays and cafes, governs storefront displays and outdoor dining in the Midtown Taylor districts. Sidewalk displays are allowed directly in front of a business as long as at least five feet of clearance remains along the pedestrian route, they sit against the building wall, and they are no more than two feet deep and cover no more than 50 percent of the storefront's length. Displays can only be out during normal business hours and must be brought inside at the end of the day, and cardboard boxes are barred as display fixtures outright.

The sidewalk area also has to stay clean, litter-free and visually consistent with the storefront's own colors, and any vending machine or arcade game has to be inside a fully enclosed building rather than set out on the walk. Outdoor cafes, open-air eating areas and window-service restaurants are allowed under the same section, but they are cross-referenced to the additional operating standards in section 13.06(b) for restaurants with accessory outdoor seating, which requires the seating area to be bounded by a fence or wall at least three feet tall, kept free of debris, and served without any outdoor food preparation.

Because both provisions sit in article 7, they apply specifically to the MT-1 and MT-2 Midtown districts along Goddard Road, not to sidewalk uses citywide.