CaféTO and patio season: what a Toronto restaurant needs to plan

Patio season in Toronto is short and intense, and the City's CaféTO program has made it a much bigger part of the restaurant year. Launched as a pandemic response in 2020, CaféTO is now an annual City program covering curb lane cafés, sidewalk cafés and patios on private property. In 2025 the City reported roughly 1,500 outdoor dining spaces across Toronto.

A patio can add a large share of seats for a few months. Running it well takes planning long before the first warm weekend.

What is the CaféTO outdoor dining program?

CaféTO is the City of Toronto's outdoor dining program. It covers three kinds of space:

• Curb lane cafés, built into the parking lane in front of a restaurant
• Sidewalk cafés, some of which can stay in place year-round
• Private patios, on the restaurant's own property, with an endorsement from the City

Each has its own rules, timelines and costs, and the City sets them. Fees and conditions are not repeated here because they change; read toronto.ca/cafeTO before you decide.

When should a Toronto restaurant apply?

Early. For 2026 the City opened curb lane applications and renewals in January and closed them on 11 February, so the window is short and sits in the middle of winter. Approval, furniture, barriers and staffing all take time. If you want to open for the first warm weekend in May, treat late winter as patio planning season. Ontario also has its own alcohol rules for patios; the guide on Ontario patios, municipal approval and AGCO notification covers that side.

How should the patio appear in your booking system?

List the patio tables as their own area with their own capacity, and only for the dates the patio is open. That way you never take patio bookings in April or overbook the inside when the patio closes for rain. Decide whether patio tables are bookable, walk-in only or a mix. Many restaurants keep most of the patio for walk-ins, because patio demand is decided by the weather on the day.

What is your rain rule?

Have one before it rains. The options are to move patio bookings inside if there is room, to take patio bookings only with an indoor fallback, or to keep the patio walk-in only. Whichever you choose, tell guests when they book: "Patio tables move inside if it rains, subject to space" prevents an argument on the night.

How do you handle the first busy patio weekend?

Demand jumps the moment the sun comes out. The first warm Saturday brings far more people than any patio can seat, and a line on the sidewalk blocks the curb lane café you have just built. A simple walk-in list, taken by phone number or a clipboard, lets guests wait nearby and be called when a table is ready. Raise your cap for summer, when capacity is higher.

How do you get the patio found?

People search for patios when the weather turns. Make sure your listing says you have one, add photographs of the patio itself and keep your hours accurate for patio service. A cold summer dish with a clear end date gives people nearby a reason to choose you this week.

How do you plan for heat waves and storms?

Toronto summers bring humid heat waves and sudden thunderstorms, and both hit a patio first.

• Shade and water: umbrellas or awnings, and water offered without being asked.
• Look after staff in the heat, with breaks out of the sun and water on hand.
• Watch the forecast through the afternoon, and have a plan to move booked guests inside.
• Secure umbrellas and furniture before a storm.
• Keep everyone off the patio during lightning.

Check Ontario's guidance on heat stress for workers, and tell guests on your listing if the patio is closed for the day.

How should you staff and stock a patio?

A patio is a separate section with its own walking distances, so plan staffing for it rather than stretching the inside team. Brief servers on the rain rule and on any patio-only menu. Lighter dishes, cold plates and shareable items suit outdoor dining and move quickly from a kitchen that is now serving more seats. Quiet early afternoons are the time for a simple weekday offer.

What should you do before May?

1. Read the CaféTO requirements and apply or renew before the window closes.
2. List the patio tables as their own area.
3. Write your rain rule and tell guests when they book.
4. Decide how the walk-in list will work on a busy Saturday.
5. Photograph the patio and update your listing.

More from Toronto: TIFF and big event weekends and HST and your till.

More in the Canadian guides for food businesses.