PROVIDENCE – A bill making outdoor dining permanent is heading to the desk of Gov. Daniel J. McKee after being approved by the General Assembly.
The R.I. Senate voted Thursday to approve the Outdoor Dining Act, sponsored by Alana M. DiMario, D-Narragansett. The House bill was filed by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, D-South Kingstown and passed that chamber on Feb. 6.
While prohibiting municipalities from creating any ordinances that outlaw outdoor dining, the legislation establishes universal standards that allow cities and towns to place limits on outdoor dining on public property; capacity; or whether barriers are required for dining areas that border parking lots.
The legislation also prohibits municipalities from instituting ordinances that limit the time of year when outdoor dining may be offered; restricts the hours of operation in any way inconsistent with the existing licenses or that require different parking capacity standards.
McEntee, chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, said that without outdoor dining, "our diverse and world-renowned restaurant scene would look far different today and the state would have missed out on the millions of tax dollars that our tourism and hospitality industries generate yearly."
“In the dark days of the pandemic, expansion of outdoor dining across the state proved to be a bright spot that brought our communities back together on those warm summer nights to enjoy one of Rhode Island’s finest assets – our culinary and hospitality community,” she added. "It's time to make this beloved practice permanent so that everyone can continue to enjoy outdoor dining in the Ocean State."
DiMario, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee, said the success of the Take It Outside program was apparent from the very beginning and that success will continue for our communities and small businesses by making outdoor dining permanent in Rhode Island."
Previous legislation that placed a moratorium on local ordinances that prevented outdoor dining was extended for the third time in March 2023 and was set to expire on Feb. 15.
Advocates say the practice helped many restaurants, cafes and other eateries survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Heather Singleton, interim CEO of the R.I. Hospitality Association, celebrated the passage and was confident McKee would sign the legislation.
“Rhode Island’s restaurants are still in recovery mode, facing staff shortages, rising prices and persistent supply-chain issues,” she said. “Businesses have come to rely on outdoor dining as an important aspect of their sales. This law provides dependability and stability of a much-needed revenue stream for restaurants all over the state.”
(UPDATE: Comment from CEO of the R.I. Hospitality Association added in 10th and 11th paragraphs)
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
