Sidewalk Cafes
Sidewalk café means an outdoor dining area on a public sidewalk or public way where patrons may consume food and/or beverages provided by a licensed restaurant. Such restaurants may either provide table service in the outdoor dining areas or sell take-out items to be consumed in the outdoor dining areas.
Obtaining a License
The City Clerk is the licensing authority for Sidewalk Cafes. Applicants for a Sidewalk Café wishing to serve alcohol beverages in their café space will need Keene City Council approval in the first instance, with subsequent annual renewals issued by the City Clerk.
To obtain a license, the applicant must complete an application that is submitted to the City Clerk’s Office along with the applicable fee. The applicant will also need to submit a certificate of liability insurance listing the City of Keene as an Additional Insured, a copy of their NH Liquor License (if applicable) and a signed letter of permission from the adjacent property owner if the applicant wants to go beyond their own storefront. First year applicants will be required to submit a sketch of the seating area, and the City Clerk’s Office will initiate a review process with various City departments, including an inspection by Community Development to ensure ADA compliance. Once the review process has concluded, the applicant will sign an indemnification agreement and the City Clerk will issue the license.
Licenses Requiring City Council Approval
City Council approval is needed for first time applicants requesting permission to serve alcohol. The applicant will submit the documentation needed to apply for the Sidewalk Café License to the City Clerk’s Office along with a letter addressed to the Honorable Mayor and City Council. The applicant will be invited to a meeting of the Planning, Licenses and Development Committee to discuss their request to serve alcohol at the café area. Once Council permission has been received, the City Clerk will proceed with reviewing and issuing the license as described above.
Licenses issued under this section of the City Code will expire March 1 of each year. The use of the sidewalk is limited to April 1 through November 1 each year to coincide with the Snow and Street Maintenance Period identified in City Code. The application fee for this license is $125.00 the first year, and $100.00 per year thereafter. Every five years a plot plan review will be required, and the fee will be $125.00 during the scheduled review time.
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