New York City has seen a significant decrease in outdoor dining permits, a vital lifeline to restaurants during the pandemic and since, issuing less than a fifth fewer permits this spring than the previous year. Six weeks into the 2026 outdoor dining season, only 2,100 restaurants in the city have permits, down from roughly 2,500 last year and about 13,000 during peak times. The Department of Transportation reported that around 1,000 restaurants were still waiting for permits as of last year, and some have been waiting over a year. Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said permits have become too expensive and bureaucratic due to the cost of construction and setting up in the spring is too costly. He blamed the bureaucracy for the drop in permit applications and suggested that the City Council could allow restaurants to operate outdoor dining while the city completes its legal steps.