Minneapolis sidewalk cafe license: what the city requires

Outdoor tables are a short season and a big part of a Minneapolis restaurant's year, so the day a patio opens matters. Whether it opens on time depends on a question that sounds simple: is the space public sidewalk or private property? The City of Minneapolis says the first needs a license and the second does not. The city's sidewalk and street cafe standards, its fee page and its business licenses team hold the details.

Do you need a license for outdoor tables?

If the tables and chairs are on the city sidewalk, yes. Sidewalk cafes must be licensed by the City, and the license covers tables and chairs on the city sidewalk. If the outdoor space is a private patio, you do not need a sidewalk cafe license. The line between the two is the property line, so check your survey or ask the city to confirm where your private space ends and the public sidewalk begins.

What about insurance?

Sidewalk cafes must have insurance. Ask the city's business licenses team for the current requirement, and ask your insurance agent to add the sidewalk area to your policy and to issue the certificate in the form the city wants. Do not assume your restaurant policy covers a space outside your door.

Where do the design rules live?

The city's sidewalk and street cafe standards hold details such as how much walking space must stay clear. Read the standards first, then draw your layout with a tape measure on the actual sidewalk. A plan that looks right on paper can fail when a street tree, a utility box or a bus stop sits where a table was planned. Walk the block at different hours, because a delivery truck that parks at ten in the morning can change your layout.

Do you need plan review?

Plans must be submitted for certain food or alcohol business work, and the city must approve your plans before you start any work. If you are adding or changing fixtures as well as outdoor seating, ask whether the work triggers plan review. A patio with a service bar or a new outdoor kitchen may.

Write down what you plan to change before you ask, even if it is only furniture. A clear list of tables, chairs, heaters and umbrellas, with their sizes, makes every conversation with the city shorter, and it gives your insurer what it needs to quote the sidewalk.

What about alcohol outdoors?

The city lists a separate expansion of premises process for an alcohol license. If you plan to serve drinks outside, ask your city licensing contact how the liquor license covers the sidewalk and what approval is needed before opening day. Our guide on Minnesota on-sale liquor licenses explains how the city and the state divide the work.

What does it cost?

Ask the city for the current fee, whether it is charged per table or per square foot, and when it is due. Add the fee, the insurance premium and any plan review costs to your patio budget before you order furniture. A patio that pays for itself in one summer is worth building, so estimate the covers you will add on a good evening before you commit.

What is the season?

Ask the city whether the license runs for a calendar year or a set season, and when it must be renewed. Plan to submit your application early in the year, because a patio that opens on the first warm weekend needs a license approved before then. Work backward from the day you want to open: insurance certificate first, then the plan, then the application, with a week of margin at each step.

How do you run the space well?

Whatever the rules say, a sidewalk cafe works best when it is tidy and predictable. Set tables at open and bring them in at close, keep the walkway clear, sweep daily and train servers on the boundaries. Keep a copy of the license and the insurance certificate on the premises. A neighbor who is irritated by a spilled table is more likely to call the city than one who sees a well-run patio. Tell neighbors and the building owner when the patio will open and close each day, give them a phone number for complaints and answer it. Take photographs of the setup on the day the license is issued, so that you can show later that the tables stay where the application put them. Check your hours against your liquor license and your lease, since each can limit when the patio may be used.

What should you do next?

Confirm with the city where your property line is. Read the sidewalk and street cafe standards and ask about fees, insurance and alcohol. Measure the sidewalk and draw a plan. Then submit the application early enough that the patio opens when the weather does. Tell your servers the layout before the first service, and give one person the job of checking the walkway at the start of every shift.

More guides for your business:

• Minneapolis food truck and food cart licensing
• Minnesota on-sale liquor license, hours and Sunday sales
• Minneapolis restaurant taxes: city sales, downtown and entertainment

More in the US guides for food businesses.