For restaurants across Los Angeles, the pandemic-era al fresco dining program was a much-needed lifeline that allowed them to keep serving customers outdoors as indoor capacities were restricted. According to NBC Los Angeles, with COVID’s worst days hopefully behind us, the city has announced that any establishments wishing to make their temporary outdoor setups permanent will need to apply for an official permit by July 31st, 2024. In this article we talk about Permanent Alfresco Dining in LA.
After that date, the current temporary authorizations that allowed restaurants, bars, and cafes to quickly expand their footprints into public spaces like sidewalks, parking lots, and street parking will no longer be valid without securing a proper al fresco permit from the city. Here’s what LA business owners need to know about the new permanent outdoor dining regulations.
The Permit Application Process
To keep their parklets, sidewalk seating areas, and street dining setups in place long-term, restaurants must go through an official application and permitting process with the city before the July 31st deadline. According to LA’s program website, all applicants will need to:
1) Create an Angeleno Account user profile
2) Submit site plans, renderings, and other documentation
3) Pay all required permit fees based on their location and size
4) Potentially make infrastructural accessibility and safety modifications
While the initial application process is fully digital, city officials say they will also conduct field inspections once an application is received to ensure the outdoor dining area meets all requirements. Permits can then be approved on an annual or monthly basis depending on the permit type.
The city has published a full walkthrough video explaining all steps of the application process, as well as links to the required documents and forms that need to be filled out.
Fee Waivers for Small Businesses
Recognizing that having to pay permitting fees could be cost-prohibitive for many smaller, independent restaurants still recovering from pandemic shutdowns, Los Angeles has implemented a fee reduction program to offset some of those charges.
Eligible small businesses can apply to have their permanent al fresco permitting fees reduced or potentially even waived entirely. However, the fee waiver program currently has a limited window that’s “ending soon” according to the city website, so interested restaurants should move quickly.
Even with the fee assistance, business owners should still budget for some added costs related to making their outdoor areas compliant with updated safety rules and accessibility standards once the temporary pandemic structures are inspected.
The Push for Permanent Outdoor Dining
When LA first launched its Al Fresco program back in 2020 as a temporary relief measure, no one could have predicted just how wildly popular (and crucial to the industry’s survival) it would become with diners. As the pandemic waned, there was immense public pressure from restaurant owners and customers alike to find a way to make it permanent.
Many establishments had invested substantial money into enhancing their makeshift outdoor areas with planters, heating lamps, shade structures and aesthetic touches to create a beloved”streetto-patio” vibe that quickly became a defining part of LA’s dining scene.
Local officials ultimately decided the quality of life, social, and economic benefits of allowing permanent outdoor dining far outweighed any downsides, as long as they could institute official permitting to ensure pedestrian access and public safety.
So while an extra hoop to jump through, most restaurateurs seem to view the permit process as a small price to pay to keep their incredible al fresco expansions going for years to come. LA’s unique climate and love of indoor-outdoor living make it a perfect place to fully embrace this pandemic experiment as a long-lasting part of the city’s culture.
As a diner, few things elevate a meal more than enjoying it under the open sky, sipping a cool beverage as the gentle breeze rolls off the Pacific. With permanence now on the horizon for LA’s outdoor dining scene, get ready for even more alfresco hot spots to discover across the city’s sun-drenched neighborhoods.
Just remember to make reservations, tip well, and soak in the magic of LA’s eternal summer nights from your perfect patio perch. After all, the city knows few things better than how to dine under the stars. I sincerely hope you find this “Permanent Alfresco Dining in LA? You’ll Need a Permit for That” article helpful.