Mayor Wu announces the return of outdoor dining to the city of Boston

BOSTON, Mass. — Outdoor dining season will begin for the city of Boston on Friday, April 1, 2022, except in the North End, according to Mayor Michelle Wu.

“For the past two years we’ve seen how outdoor dining activates public spaces, helps small businesses, and creates connected communities for everyone,” said Mayor Wu. “I’m excited to bring outdoor dining back this spring to support our small businesses and continue to make public spaces more accessible and enjoyable for residents, business owners, and visitors across our neighborhoods.”

Boston has made significant changes to the outdoor dining experience including:

• New closing hours;
• Sunday - Thursday at 9:30 p.m.(all patrons off premises by 10:00 p.m.) and Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. (all patrons off premises by 11:00 p.m.)
• Updated barrier safety requirements
• Updated fire safety guidelines
• New insurance requirements
• An evacuation plan.

The full changes and guidelines can be found here.

“This program not only provided much needed support for our small businesses, it also activated spaces across our neighborhoods and helped keep our city vibrant as we recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu.

His office, in partnership with the Office of Neighborhood Services, will be hosting a series of virtual training sessions to assist businesses with the application process starting tomorrow afternoon. Applicants must register for the meetings here.

The North End is currently undergoing a review from the city due to the high number of restaurants in the neighborhood, which will need special considerations. However, North End restaurants can still apply for the outdoor dining program while awaiting follow-up information from the city.

Interested applicants can apply for the 2022 Outdoor Dining Pilot Program here. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and restaurants that participated in the 2021 outdoor dining program will have to re-apply for 2022, according to city officials.

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