New Castle, DE – New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer applauded County Council’s approval of the ordinance that allows Delaware food and drink establishments to apply for expanding their outdoor seating capacity. This longer-term solution builds on the Meyer Administration’s temporary solution that was quickly assembled early on in its COVID 19 response
Plans for adding temporary outdoor seating capacity must consider local traffic patterns and noise ordinances, and boundaries must be clearly defined to prevent beverages from being carried offsite. Applicants that hold a liquor license must also have their plans reviewed by the Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control prior to receiving approval. All facilities, regardless of offering table-service or take-out, must continue to follow guidance as established in Delaware’s Recovery plan.
“Few industries have been hit as hard as the restaurant industry,” said Meyer. “We’re here to do anything we can to help our community restaurants stay in business, and doing so safely.”
The Department of Land Use is currently accepting applications from restaurants that want to add temporary outdoor seating as part of their business recovery efforts. Applications will be processed as promptly as possible. Note: Temporary Outdoor Seating Use Permits cannot be processed through ePlans (please see submission details in the application below). For general questions, please email [email protected] or call (302) 395-5400.
Restaurant owners should visit the following resources to apply for outdoor seating, to review Delaware’s Recovery Plan, and to read Gov. Carney’s May 19th announcement.