Santa Monica Outdoor Dining Expanded, Business License Renewal Extended

SANTA MONICA— On Friday, June 5, the city of Santa Monica announced an expansion of outdoor dining and extensions for business license renewals amid the fight against COVID-19.

Dine-in at restaurants has been forbidden since March 16, when Santa Monica, in tandem with the city of Los Angeles, announced the suspension of all in-person dining at restaurants and bars, among the temporary closure of many other businesses.

As announced by a Santa Monica press release, Interim City Manager and Director of Emergency Services Lane Dilg have revised the 18^th supplement of Santa Monica’s declaration of a local emergency to expand outdoor dining and extend business license renewals.

The announcement comes 10 days after Dilg announced Santa Monica barbershops and restaurants could reopen with strict social distancing guidelines with the 17^th supplement to Santa Monica’s local emergency declaration. The supplement came with a stipulation that limits in-person dining to restaurants with outdoor permits only.

The revision will allow restaurants to temporarily expand their outdoor dining areas to adjacent sidewalks and other private spaces. The new supplement will also allow restaurants to expand their outdoor dining area to sidewalks and public spaces adjacent to the restaurant not owned by the restaurant if the rightful owner allows it.

The change in outdoor dining policy will be effective until September 7, 2020, and restaurant owners interested in expanding outdoor dining space into privately owned areas must apply at Santa Monica’s Economic Recovery website.

The original 18th supplement created policies intended to help the burden of business affected by COVID-19. The 18^th supplement continues this by extending the delinquency date for business license renewal fees by two months. The date for renewal has been extended from September 1 to November 1. Applications for business license renewal extensions are due July 31.

To apply for an expansion of outdoor dining space click here. For updates to the city of Santa Monica’s current policies visit santamonica.gov/newsletter and to sign up for emergency alerts text SMCOVID to 888-777.