First-Ever Curbside Dining Restaurant Week Will Celebrate and Support City Streeteries
Organizers call for crucial reforms to Dining Out NYC, including year-round option for restaurants
NEW YORK, NY—Today, Open Plans announced the first-ever Curbside Dining Restaurant Week, organized in partnership with Untapped New York. From September 5 through September 12, participating restaurants across the five boroughs will offer exclusive discounts, promotions, and special menu items to on-site diners. The program aims to celebrate curbside dining’s popularity and benefits to local businesses as well as highlight reforms needed to ensure the program’s continued success.
A list of the more than 30 participating restaurants—including the specific offers available to patrons—will be released in the coming weeks.
Curbside Dining Restaurant Week is a complement to the campaign launched by Open Plans, a livability nonprofit that promotes people-centered use of street space, to reform Dining Out NYC, the permanent version of the pandemic-era program that allowed businesses to use curbside space to serve patrons. Open Plans is working with local businesses to identify needed changes to the program to ensure its accessibility, sustainability, and success for years to come.
“New Yorkers are hungry for vibrant public space; the immediate success of curbside dining proved that. But today, the program is floundering. Our restaurant week is a demonstration and celebration of how curb space can serve people, not just parked cars,” said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director at Open Plans. “Business owners have poured their hearts, souls, time, and money into the curbside dining program—but it has become too burdensome. City leaders must make curbside dining year-round, flexible, and equitable so that it truly supports small businesses and reflects the diverse, dynamic energy of this city.”
Originally launched as an emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City’s curbside dining program quickly evolved into one of the most popular and creative uses of public space in decades. These streeteries not only helped thousands of restaurants stay afloat, but also reimagined the city’s curb lanes as places for connection and community. However, the permanent program, passed by City Council in 2023, includes crucial flaws that make it difficult for many restaurants to participate. Today, the number of curbside dining setups is a tiny fraction of what there was at the program’s peak. Small business owners cite cost, complexity, and seasonal limitations as major barriers to participation.
To help the program thrive again, Open Plan is calling on the City of New York to implement key reforms:
Allow curbside dining year-round
Create a simplified and affordable fee structure
Establish flexible and clear design guidelines
Incorporate local input without unnecessary delays
Streamline the application process for businesses and DOT
Promote program expansion in underserved neighborhoods
About Open Plans
Open Plans’ mission is to promote a people-first street culture that prioritizes community, active mobility, and connection. Founded in 1999, the nonprofit uses grassroots advocacy and policy changes to help transform how people experience New York City’s public spaces.
About Untapped New York
Untapped New York is a tour and media company driven by a mission of discovery. Founded in 2009 and powered by a team of passionate New Yorkers, Untapped New York transforms how locals and visitors experience the city through behind-the-scenes, expert-guided tours and captivating stories that reveal the city's overlooked hidden gems.