Sheephead Bay is filled with Sidewalk cafes, nice ones too. Its too bad that only two of them are actually legal. Located on Emmons Avenue: Roll-N-Roaster and Yiasou a greek restaurant. The sidewalk cafes from are the life blood of many of the businesses in the Bay; it would be a shame if the business didn’t apply before CB 15 and the Department of Consumer Affairs starts going after the business.
The Department of Consumer Affairs even keeps an updated list of all of the legal sidewalk cafes in the city.
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As you can see Roll-N-Roaster and AMGP Corp are the ONLY legal sidewalk cafes in Sheepshead Bay as of 09/16/07
We did some research for the restaurants that haven’t done any. As well as paying all of the fees to the Department of Consumer Affairs the business needs to have approval of the local Community Board, ours being CB 15
It seems expensive we aren’t going to lie.
- LICENSE FEE $510.00
- Plan review (for unenclosed and small unenclosed cafés, first-time license or renewal of DCA consent only): $310.00
- Fees for starting, renewing or assigning DCA consent for all cafés: $445.00
- Modification of DCA consent for all sidewalk cafés: $175.00
- Security deposit (FOR ENCLOSED CAFÉ, FIRST-TIMERS ONLY): $4,000.00
- Security deposit (FOR UNENCLOSED CAFÉ, FIRST-TIMERS ONLY): $1,500.00
- Department of City Planning fee (FOR ENCLOSED CAFÉS ONLY)
- $50.00 per seat/ $1,260.00 minimum for FIRST-TIME LICENSES
- $25.00 per seat/ $630.00 minimum for RENEWALS OF DCA CONSENT
Then after paying the Department of Consumer Affairs they have to pay the Square Footage fee yearly
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They must also carry an insurance policy insuring themselves and the Department of Consumer Affairs for the following amounts:
- Personal Injury: $ 350,000 one person
- Personal Injury: $ 1,000,000 per accident
- Property Damage: $ 50,000 per accident
For a business that might solely depend on its sidewalk cafe these fees and steps shouldn’t be that hard.
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Wow, a lot of research went into this! Great posting!
Although with the weather turning, only the enclosed ones are still operating, but I think that all those sidewalk cafes that block the sidewalks on Emmons Avenue without a permit should be fined and shut down.
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I don’t see any 11229 listed. I guess all the businesses in Gerritsen with the tables outside are ILLEGAL.
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Yep, your right. :-\
Did some additional digging – if a sidewalk cafe is within the property line, then it is considered a legal use that doesn’t require a permit, so therefore places like the Ice cream place and the Chinese restaurant on Emmons are legal because they don’t put seating outside of their property line, as is Randazzo’s outdoor seating.
So for those in Gerritsen, if the seating is within the property line, you don’t need a permit!
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I cant think of many gerritsen sidewalk cafes. Maybe Amici and the Bagel store.
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amici should be illegal i saw the “back”
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want to “bet” amici closes within the year?
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Ha! Clever
I wouldn’t mind loosing Amici. It certainly isn’t being kept open by the cappucino it sells on the sidewalk.
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