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

Adopted as the Outdoor Dining Ordinance under § 14-496, Division 4 of Article XIV governs any enclosed or partially enclosed outdoor dining use on a public, private, or courtyard space operated as an accessory to an abutting licensed restaurant or beverage establishment, per the definitions in § 14-498. Section 14-499 requires an outdoor dining permit before any outdoor food or beverage service begins, and routes the application, complete with a scaled site plan, signage plans, a copy of the establishment's business license and certificate of insurance, and a non-refundable fee, through the city's licensing department to the development review board for review.

The board can impose conditions to protect pedestrian passageways, avoid parking and traffic conflicts, and keep the use consistent with adopted area plans; signage must also meet the Waukegan Sign Ordinance. Section 14-499 separately bars street peddlers not associated with a licensed and regulated food and or beverage establishment from operating anywhere in the city, tying outdoor food sales to an underlying licensed restaurant. Under § 14-500, a sidewalk outdoor dining permit is valid year-round, but decor and furniture may only stay outdoors overnight between April 15 and November 15; establishments that use parklet or on-street parking spaces face a shorter, seasonal license limited to that same April 15-November 15 window, and must remove all decor and furniture from the street between November 15 and April 15.