Four Questions to Consider Before Opening an Outdoor Seating Space | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News

With the recent influx of cold weather throughout most of the Northeast, businesses have been able to continue attracting patrons through a shift to outdoor operations. While this cold trend has already hit some of the country, it’s right around the corner for others, and imperative for all to keep top of mind. Whether a restaurant, bar, food market, or similar establishment, creating outdoor seating has allowed many businesses to remain afloat throughout COVID and will be crucial for the coming months. However, before putting up your tent or enclosures, there are important safety considerations to address first:

1. Do you need or have the proper permits?Businesses looking to setup outdoor seating spaces will likely need to receive pre-approval in the form of a permit from either a state or local building department. Depending on the arrangement and type of structure (i.e. tents, bubbles, etc.), owners, agents or managers may be required to submit construction documents for…

Stephen D. Jones

Stephen D. Jones, MS, CBO, MCP, NJCEM, is a Government Relations senior regional manager with the International Code Council responsible for the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and New Jersey. A certified building official, Jones has more than 35 years of construction industry experience. He is a past president of the International Code Council’s Board of Directors (2013–2014) and a former member of the International Accreditation Service Board of Directors. Jones is a sitting governor for the World Organization of Building Officials, and a former member of the Board of Direction for the National Council of Governments on Building Codes and Standards for the National Institute of Building Sciences. A licensed code official in the state of New Jersey since 1988, Jones served as the construction official and deputy emergency manager for the Township of Millburn/Short Hills and the Borough of Florham Park, N.J. He is a past president of the Morris County Building Officials Association and the Building Officials Association of New Jersey and has served on numerous state and national code-related committees, including the New Jersey Code Advisory Board Building Subcode Committee and the Peer Review Board. In 2007, he was honored as the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Inspector of the Year, and he holds the prestigious title of “Honorary Kentucky Colonel.”

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Stephen D. Jones