Al Fresco Ordinance - Outdoor Dining on Private Property | About

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Summary

On December 15, 2023, City Council adopted the Al Fresco Ordinance – a key component of Los Angeles’s economic strategy, geared toward propping up locally-sourced jobs in the hospitality industry which are recovering from the pandemic. City Planning’s Al Fresco Ordinance amends provisions of Los Angeles’s Zoning Code to facilitate outdoor dining on private property. Recognizing the success of the emergency outdoor dining authorizations, the proposed ordinance simplifies current Zoning Code regulations for restaurant owners who wish to offer outdoor dining in private property areas including but not limited to parking lots, patios, and plazas. Specifically, the ordinance makes the temporary zoning relief measures for private property introduced during the pandemic that allowed restaurant operators to utilize their parking spaces to facilitate outdoor dining a permanent policy.

View the Al Fresco Ordinance

 

Background

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City enacted temporary emergency orders to allow restaurants to keep their doors open and serve customers while still adhering to local public health and safety measures. These emergency actions established L.A. Al Fresco, which authorized outdoor dining areas and temporarily suspended certain zoning regulations. This created a lifeline for many businesses, and was implemented with a simple process and minimal cost to participants. Due to the success of the temporary L.A. Al Fresco program, the City Council instructed City departments to establish permanent rules for outdoor dining on private property, sidewalks, and in-street (see Council File 20-1074 and 20-1074-S4). As such, City Planning is working alongside the Mayor’s Office, City Council and other City departments on a coordinated effort to establish a permanent Al Fresco program.

Ordinance Milestones

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