Sidewalk Dining Program Update

The Sidewalk Cafe Ordinance for Charleston demonstrates a desire to activate the public realm in a positive manner while upholding expectations of public safety, proper regulation, and aesthetic quality.

The current ordinance establishes standards that define allowable uses, identify appropriate locations and hours of operation, and effectively regulate the design and activities of sidewalk dining franchises.

We as a community are committed to making Charleston a world-class city. We have so many great assets….great restaurants, spectacular historic architecture, a wonderfully livable city, and such a great climate, that even in the dead of winter, it is often possible to live outdoors comfortably.

When we think of great urban experiences--cities like Paris, Barcelona, Venice, and now Charleston,--we invariably think of sitting out in a sidewalk café, sipping a drink, eating a great meal, watching the life of the city pass by. It is not just a part of being a tourist; it is a tradition of city life, one that is embedded in our psyche as the quintessential “good life.” It’s not about nostalgia, at least not always, but it is about enjoying daily life. In great cities like ours, sitting in a sidewalk café is a part of life for every segment of society, old and young, rich and poor, resident and tourist.

So important is it to our experience of cities that it carries on even today in the fast-paced 21st Century, the desire to take a moment, to take a coffee, to just meet someone for a bit of conversation over a light meal in the sun endures. Sidewalk cafes around the world give city dwellers the opportunity to take full advantage of the pleasures of city life, to relish in the vitality of life in the public realm.

With our current ordinance the city is working to revitalize our city's public space by making possible the use of our sidewalks as places for people to sit and linger, to take a moment to enjoy the good life, to meet friends, to sit in the shade of an umbrella and sip a drink. Sidewalk cafes are working in Charleston invigorating our public places with activity, enjoyment and civic life.

For the official Sidewalk Cafe Rules and Regulations and the application for a Sidewalk Cafe Permit, please click on the following link

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