City expands outdoor dining options for local restaurants

SARASOTA –– The City of Sarasota has created a new temporary outdoor café permit in an effort to aid local restaurants with a speedy economic recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The new temporary permit allows restaurants to expand or add new outdoor seating arrangements to accommodate recommended social distancing standards. It also eases some of the requirements under the traditional sidewalk café permit, including allowing for temporary seating in designated parking spaces.

There is no fee for the application, which is available online (click on “Form M2”). Physical copies are also available for pickup in the first-floor lobby of the City Hall Annex, 1565 First St.

The streamlined permitting process includes an expedited review of completed applications, with a goal of having them processed as quickly as within 24 hours of submission.

For questions, contact the Development Applications Coordinator at [email protected] or 941-263-6451.

Sarasota County also recently relaxed its regulations regarding temporary use permits for businesses in the unincorporated county to help them better deal with the ravaged economy from the COVID-19 pandemic.