Sidewalk cafe

[1] Sidewalk cafés are common across Europe, forming an important part of street life in countries such as Spain, France and Italy.

[3] The 1988 resolution prohibited sidewalk cafés in residential areas and on major thoroughfares, permitting them in malls and (conditionally) "in Historic Districts or in designated Landmark Buildings".

[3] The stated purposes are to balance the café proprietors' interests against the needs of pedestrians; to conserve the value of land; and to preserve the characters of neighborhoods.

By September 2020, 10,600 restaurants had enrolled in the city's outdoor dining program, compared to just 1,023 sidewalk cafés that existed before the pandemic.

[5] Many restaurants started installing outdoor dining enclosures called bubble pods to promote social distancing.