Restaurant owners who didn't apply for the Dining Out NYC program will need to start dismantling their outdoor setups.
The deadline for restaurants to apply for the outdoor dining program was on Saturday. Restaurant owners who do not dismantle their outdoor setups can face a $500 fine for the first offense and a $1,000 for each subsequent offence until the setup is removed.
Restaurants who are participating in the new program will have to pay separate license and fees. The new designs are likely to cost tens of thousands of dollars, according to official estimates.
The new rules also mean sidewalk sheds will only be constructed seasonally with the season ending on Nov. 29 and resuming on April 1.