Streetery & Sidewalk Cafe Licenses
As any Philadelphia restaurant owner knows, Sidewalk Cafe and Streetery Licenses were granted temporarily over the past few years. These temporary Sidewalk Cafe and Streetery Licenses were a boon to businessed during the height of Covid, as they provided a safe space for restaurants to seat customers. However, these temporary Sidewalk Cafe and Streetery Licenses expired in 2022 and must now be made permanent if they are to continue to be operated. Read on to learn a little more about Streeteries, and how to make them permanent.
As you may know, Philadelphia has decided to allow Streeteries to gain permanent licensure, to be renewed annually. Since there has been some confusion about how to turn your temporary Streetery License into a permanent Streetery License, I thought it prudent to pause the Permitting Basics Series in favor of a more relevant topic as we head into 2023 and permanent Streeteries.
First, for some background. Philadelphia offers restaurants two different outdoor dining options: the Sidewalk Cafe and the Streetery. Restaurants are allowed to have both, provided they are in an area where the Philadelphia Code allows it. This outside seating obviously increases the seating capacity of a restaurant and can be a huge draw to diners. Each license must be applied for separately, and has specific requirements. However, businesses must meet basic criteria in order to be eligible for a Streetery or Sidewalk Cafe License. They must have the following:
Food Preparation & Serving License
Business Income & Receipts Tax (BIRT)
Commercial Activity License (CAL)
Liquor License (if planning to serve alcohol)
Liability Insurance
If you meet these requirements, it’s likely that you’re able to erect a Streetery or Sidewalk Cafe (or both!). The next steps are to find out if you qualify for a Streetery License or Sidewalk Cafe through L&I.
The Streetery License is a little more complicated and time consuming so I’ll cover it in this post. If you’re curious about the Sidewalk Cafe Licenses, please reach out through our “Contact Us” page.
The first thing to know in order to get your Streetery License is that you will have to apply for a new license. Your first step is to do due diligence to see if you’re able to have one in the location of your restaurant. You can find this by referencing the links at bottom alongside Philadelphia’s Streetery Guide. If your desired location fits within the parameters set forth in the Streetery Guide and City Code, then your next step is to put a public posting in your window. This posting informs the public of your desire to have a Streetery, and must be visible for at least 10 days before applying, evidenced by a time-stamped photograph.
Once this posting is up, it’s time to submit for pre-approval for your Streetery License through the Philadelphia Department of Streets. This submission must have hand drawn or rendered plans detailing adherence to all of the guidelines found in Philadelphia’s Streetery Guide. This process can take between 14 and 30 business days. It’s important to note that there are different types of Streeteries, and anything with a structure over 48” in height must have a building permit issued before construction. You’ll find this information in the 24 page Philadelphia Streetery Guide.
Once approved, it’s time to get your permanent Streetery License through L&I. You’ll need copies of all the documents I’ve listed above, as well as stamped approval from the Philadelphia Department of Streets. The Streetery License costs $1,750 per year and must be renewed annually. Depending on your freedom to dedicate time to handle this yourself, you can expect to pay between $1,750 and $2,500 for your Streetery License this year. The estimated time to get completion varies depending on the format of the plans (professionally rendered drawings are reviewed twice as fast). In general, the process to get your Streetery License takes between two and three months, depending on how many revisions need to be made.
With nice weather here and spring just around the corner, it’s important to get the ball rolling on your Streetery License, and the team here at Kosten Expo can help you get your plans drawn and submissions finished in time to have a legitimate Streetery by the time the weather gets good. I have received word from the Streetery Division that they won’t be looking to fine businesses until the spring, as long as they are in process of getting a legitimate Streetery License.
