During the dark days of the pandemic, diners in New York City hoping to enjoy something similar to a typical restaurant experience were introduced to a "stop the spread" friendly compromise: outdoor dining sheds . The small, enclosed dining spaces became popular while Covid-19 was tearing through the nation and helped restaurants stay afloat during the social distancing days. But now a new city program threatening hefty fines may see the majority of the sheds go the way of bespoke Etsy face masks and ivermectin shills.
Saturday was the final day for restaurants in New York City to apply for its new "Dining Out NYC" program. Restaurants that have not registered with the program that continue to operate dining sheds will be fined $500 for their first offense, and an additional $1,000 for each additional offense until the sheds are removed. Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council reached a deal in May that made outdoor dining a permanent fixture but with several requirements standardizing the spaces and regulations when they can be erected on the city's streets and sidewalks.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, which is overseeing the program, said in a statement that fewer than 3,000 restaurants have applied for the program as of Saturday afternoon, Gothamist reports. During the pandemic, approximately 13,000 restaurants were participating in the city's Open Restaurants outdoor dining program. The new rules require restaurants seeking outdoor dining spaces like t.