Do you have, or are you planning for a patio or sidewalk café in Toronto? A new set of proposed reforms to the city’s bylaws for sidewalk cafés & marketing displays could affect your plans.
Last year the City of Toronto proposed new rules that would have dramatically increased fees for patios and sidewalk cafés. Restaurants Canada opposed those increases, as they would have severely harmed some restaurant businesses.
After considerable consultation with restaurants and other businesses, the city has proposed new sidewalk café rules that would:
- Create two distinct fee areas (instead of seven): one for the downtown core and one for the rest of the city
- Phase in any fee increases over 10 years
- Clarify the space needed
- Allow for “parklet” cafés (combination of sidewalk and roadway parking space)
- Set out clear accessibility rules
These new rules will be discussed by the city’s Economic and Community Development Committee on March 6, with the aim to implement the new bylaw changes by the fall. Click here for more information on City of Toronto’s ongoing review of bylaws for sidewalk cafés & marketing displays.
If you have any questions or would like more information, you can get in touch with James Rilett, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Central Canada, at jrilett@restaurantscanada.org or 1-800-387-5649 ext. 4241.
Restaurants Canada Digital
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