07/28/22 City announces the restart of the outdoor sidewalk dining program

City announces the restart of the outdoor sidewalk dining program

An outdoor dining setup at Yakitori Hachibei in Chinatown

HONOLULU - In a move to support our local restaurants as we continue down the long road to economic recovery, Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Bill 27 (2022), CD2 into law last week, relating to the City and County of Honolulu's outdoor dining services program.

"What is really great about Bill 27 is it allows people to have dinner in a really fun way," said Mayor Blangiardi. "We all like to eat outside, whether we are talking about picnics at the beach or barbecues in our backyard, and now, we can do it with our favorite restaurants. On top of that, this is really good for the restaurant business as well."

"Bill 27 is a step in the right direction by supporting our restaurant community and the desire by the public to eat outdoors more," added Honolulu City Council Vice-Chair Esther Kiaʻāina. "We need to explore all avenues that furthers the city's economic recovery."

The City's Department of Transportation Services (DTS) will implement the outdoor dining services pilot program and issue permits to applicants. DTS is authorized to implement the program no later than January 21, 2023. The pilot program will last for at least two years.

To view Mayor Blangiardi's press conference regarding his signing of Bill 27, click here.

Bill 27, which was introduced by Council Chair Tommy Waters, was passed by the Honolulu City Council on July 6, 2022. A signed version of the bill can be found at https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/document-download?id=14731.

-PAU-