Outdoor Dining

During its regular meeting on September 26, 2023, the City Council formally adopted an Ordinance that allows for additional outdoor restaurant seating for sidewalk dining. The Ordinance amended the City’s existing Special Outdoor Use Permit (SOUP) process to allow retail food businesses to have outdoor seating for up to 12 persons and for restaurants to have outdoor seating for up to 20 persons (without alcohol service), sidewalk space permitting. Any restaurant wishing to sell alcohol in an expanded outdoor dining space needs to apply for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) amendment. Please contact the City’s Planning Division at (909) 399-5470 if you have questions regarding the SOUP and/or CUP application processes.

Program Background

The temporary outdoor dining program that was implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, known as Claremont Al Fresco, ended effective February 28, 2023. Temporary parklets were removed and those spaces were returned to their original conditions, and no permanent parklet program will be implemented at this time. Proactive outreach was conducted to all businesses who have outdoor dining that was not approved under Claremont Al Fresco and to all businesses with temporary parklets.

SOUP Application(PDF, 97KB)

CUP Application(PDF, 177KB)

ABC COVID Temporary Permits Expired

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has advised that the COVID temporary permits expired on February 28, 2024. Restaurants who received temporary permits to serve alcohol in an expanded capacity during the pandemic will need to apply for a premises expansion with the ABC to permanently license the areas that were temporarily approved under the COVID permits. The ABC suggests that restaurants apply for permanent licenses sooner rather than later to prevent any interruption of service to those areas. Please contact the ABC by phone: (626) 256-3241 or by email: Monrovia@abc.ca.gov for additional information. 

 

For more information on outdoor dining, please contact Assistant to the City Manager, Katie Wand via phone at (909) 399-5454 or by email at KWand@claremontca.gov.