The CaféTO program has been extended to allow cafes on the sidewalk through the winter — providing more outdoor dining areas to help restaurants and bars create physical distancing for patrons. Full guidelines and requirements for operating a café throughout the winter months will be made available soon, when provincial regulations are made clearer.
Step 1:
Read the design guide to understand the rules about safe and proper placement of a winter sidewalk café to keep them safe and accessible.
Step 2:
Café operators must have copies of the following documents on hand and available to be presented upon inspection:
- A completed Certificate of Insurance*
- A completed letter of Municipal Non-Objection to serve alcohol and a copy of your liquor license.
- Written permission letter from the owner of an adjacent property, (if occupying sidewalk space in front of their business frontage)
- Written permission is required from your City Councillor if you are occupying space on a flankage/boulevard (on a local road) and don’t have an existing R57 permit.
Check toronto.ca/CafeTO for updates on winter maintenance, tents and structures, and heater guidelines, and private property patios.