Northeast Queens' Outdoor Dining Plazas To Become Permanent

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Bayside and Douglaston restaurants will now be able to offer outdoor seating year-round under a permanent expansion of the city's outdoor-dining program.

Expansive sidewalk and street dining, such as the summertime seating areas that popped up on Bell Boulevard and in Douglaston Plaza, got approval from Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday to become a permanent fixture of New York City's restaurant scene.

The program, enacted to help struggling eateries weather the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, had been set to end Oct. 31.

Under the new rules, restaurants will be permitted to build enclosed, heated outdoor spaces to keep diners warm in colder weather.

"The extension of the Open Restaurants program, which has seen great success on Bell Boulevard and Douglaston Plaza here in Northeast Queens, is a victory for our small businesses and our communities," City Council Member Paul Vallone said in a statement. "Cutting obstructive red tape and setting clear health and safety guidelines for our city’s thousands of restaurant owners and the thousands more they employ will help ensure both the long-term health of New Yorkers and of our economy."

The "Open Restaurants on Open Streets" first came to Northeast Queens in July, when portions of Bell Boulevard and 41st Avenue closed to traffic to create room for additional outdoor seating options.