Outdoor dining bill approved by the General Assembly

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The General Assembly has approved several new laws for outdoor dining to become permanent in Rhode Island.

Chairwomen Rep. McKentee and Sen. DiMario have introduced several laws since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today the fate of their permanence will be determined by Gov. McKee.

This bill will allow municipalities to adopt laws that:

• limit outdoor dining on public property
• limit the capacity of outdoor dining
• require barriers for outdoor dining areas that border parking lots or roadways

The legislation will not allow for municipalities to pass laws that:

• prohibit outdoor dining
• limit the time of year when outdoor dining be offered
• restrict the hours of outdoor dining inconsistent with the establishment’s licensure
• require new parking capacity standards on a food service establishment for an outdoor dining area

Rep. McKentee commented on the expansion of outdoor dining:

“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. And make no mistake about it, outdoor dining allowed countless restaurants and eateries to withstand and survive the struggles and uncertainties that COVID-19 brought to our state. 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. We must look at the economic facts and listen to the voices of our residents and visitors alike which are clearly stating, it’s time to make this beloved practice permanent so that everyone can continue to enjoy outdoor dining in the Ocean State. Food, community and beautiful views, outdoor dining in the Ocean State is something we can’t lose.”

Sen. DiMario made the following statement about the laws:

“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.  Outdoor dining allowed so many of our beloved restaurants to stay open during the economic uncertainties we have faced over the past few years and it brought our communities back together after facing a terrifying public health crisis.  I know I am looking forward to the warmer months when I can go outside and share a wonderful meal with my family and friends and that’s possible because of this bill.”