Yonkers, NY Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

City Code Chapter 23, Article III requires anyone owning, leasing, managing or operating a store, cafe, food establishment, restaurant or hotel abutting a City street to hold a Director-issued license before operating a sidewalk cafe on the adjacent public sidewalk (§ 23-30A). The license is personal to the applicant, cannot be sold or transferred, and is automatically revoked if the underlying lease or building title is sold or transferred (§ 23-30C); all licenses run for one calendar year with no proration for a shorter term (§ 23-30D).

Licensees must carry liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured, with minimums of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, rising to $1,000,000 single-limit coverage under the indemnification agreement required before issuance; the license is immediately revoked if that coverage lapses (§ 23-30E). 25 per square foot each year until it settles at $5 in 2027, plus a nonrefundable $50 processing fee at application and a separate $50 Engineering Department inspection fee (§ 23-31). Applications require a certificate of occupancy, business certificate, current Westchester Health Department permit, proof of proper carting-company decals and receptacles, and Engineering Department certification that the premises meets state and City codes, with review by Engineering, Fire, Police and Code Enforcement (§ 23-32A).

A detailed plot plan, building-section drawing, photographs and a floor plan showing table/chair placement and clearance from fire hydrants, bus stops, mailboxes and other fixed obstructions must accompany the application (§ 23-32B). Restaurants inside City parks or parklands are excluded from this licensing scheme (§ 23-30F).