If you are thinking of extending your cafe or restaurant outdoors - read this article for information on Council regulations and outdoor furniture requirements

1. Title: Essential Facts to Consider BeforeCreating OutdoorCafé Seating or Footpath
Dining
Extend your café orrestaurant outdoors
It is littlewonder café and restaurant owners are falling over themselves to move
theirbusiness to thestreet. Savvy operatorssee thepotentialofmaximising profits
bytaking it to the pavement - instantly increasing covers with onlya small amount
of additionaleffort andcost.
Good for Community- Good for Business– Good for Council
It’s no secret that allowing cafes and restaurants to extend their dining space
outsideencourages peopleto engagewith each otherand thephysicalplacearound
them.
Local Councils are increasingly supportiveof outdoordining to improve the
streetscape of theircommunity and offer more vibrant placesto participateinstreet
life.
“Outdoor dining creates an inclusive public place for people from all walks of life to
interact.”
And, whilst thegrowth ofoutdoorcafé business is a valuable contributionto the
socialand cultural identityofan area, it also increases prosperityof thearea with
jobs and business growth.
Councils will oftenencourage clusters ofcafes that competefor clientele to create a
thriving café culture community atmospheree.g Lygon Street in Melbourne or
LlankellyPlace, Potts Point in Sydney. TheSydney Cityalone has over 500 outdoor
dining areas in every suburb.
Expect to jump throughsome hoops – but its worthit
Unfortunately, despiteencouraging the growth of outdoordining spaces, Councils
will stillmake you jump through a few hoopsbefore theylet you put some chairs
and tableson thefootpath.
If you are not sure if your premises could use thefootpath fordining – consider most
councils require a minimum footpath spaceof3.4 m to accommodateseating
without interfering with pedestrians and otherstreet activities. If thereis existing
infrastructure i.e bins, bicyclehoopsetc in theway – it is worth asking council if they
would consider relocating these items to allowfor street seating.
What to expect – Outdoor DiningRegulations

2. Every council will have slightlydifferent regulations and applicationprocesses and it
is goodto understand what you are getting yourself in to beforeyou start looking
for outdoorfurniture.
For council a publicplaceis defined as common ground and hence must benefit the
”public” and allowfor pedestrian flow and movement. Theyadhere to a number of
federal, state and municipallaws, which govern theuse of publicplaces including
outdoorcafes.
At theminimum you will have to applyfor a permit or licence and comply to an
outdoorcafé policyforfurniture, shadeand barriers.
In some instances you may have to applyfor a Development Consent (DA) by
submitting a Development Application. Forexample, if your outdoordining area:
1. is associated with a pub
2. providesseating for more than20 people
3. is used before7am or after 10pm.
Costs for an outdoorseating licence willvary depending on thelocationand council
– even within theCityof Sydney, thecosts are widelyvariable – in Circular Quay you
will bepaying $625 per year whilst in Oxford street it is $220.
If your café is on private propertyyoumay not need to applyfor a DA but you will
have to followthe guidelinespublished by council for safety and amenity checks.
How to Choose Furniturefor OutdoorDining & Pavement Seating
Councils will usually supplya guidelineto thetype and styleof furniture for your
outdoordining area. Besure to check with your individualCouncil before
purchasing furniture.
As a guideexpect specificationssimilar to the following:
1. Tables, chairs, umbrellasand screensto be of a temporarynature i.e. only
visible during operationalhours. Themay specify folding and/or stacking
furniture that can be easily removed and stored indoor(away from public
areas outsidebusiness hours or in bad weather)
2. OutdoorFurniture that is an extension of indoorseating – check that the
furniture you choosehas some consistency with your indoorfurniture
3. Furniture that won’t cause damage to the pavement – with acceptable
caps or feet that are not sharp

3. 4. Furniture that contributes and integrateswith thestreet environment – they
may even indicatecolourschemes, styles
5. Some councils may specify a requirementfor shade umbrellas or cover
including styleand colour
6. Non-reflective table tops are usually indicated andare a practical
suggestion in non shaded outdoorareas to prevent glare
7. Avoidingwhite table surfaces and chair seats are another practical
suggestions to minimise to rapid discolouration/deterioration
8. Most councils will ask you to avoid fencing and boundaries which
“privatise “the space
9. And to pass the “convenient pedestrian access” test checkthere is
sufficient space for two mobilityaidsor childpushers to pass each other
comfortably on thefootpath. Each councilmay have different regulations
but willsupply willsupply guidelinesfor minimum clearance.
If you need help choosing outdoorfurniture that adheresto LocalCouncil
regulations visit Instyle Seating online or callour expert team on 1300 309 889. We
can advise youan allfacets of outdoorfurniture, outdoorchairs and outdoortables.
Furniture can besupplied and fitted Australia wide.