Heated outdoor during the winter for the restaurants will be helped by the city if Rochester in their new expanded program

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Officials say the winter program continues to offer opportunities to serve customers on streets, sidewalks and parking lots, and adds additional guidance on the use of temporary structures, including tents, igloos, greenhouses and custom frames. City officials say Monday that the program expedites the application process and waives the permit fees to install structures on city rights-of-way and private property. Guidance will be offered on the best types of structures to use in different spaces and what heating elements will be allowed.

“Rochester’s eclectic and culturally diverse dining scene is the backbone of retail activity along our commercial corridors, business districts and Downtown,” said Mayor Warren in a Monday press release. “Even a few additional good days a month can be the difference between staying open and closing, so our team in City Hall stands ready to help them navigate these challenging times.

We’re proud to do all we can to help small businesses survive this crisis and continue our efforts to create more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities.”

— Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren’s office announced a program expansion designed to help city restaurants offer heated, outdoor dining options for the upcoming winter months.

Flower City Winter Sidewalks will expand upon the city’s previous Flower City Sidewalks Program, which launched this summer and helped restaurants and businesses offset coronavirus capacity restrictions to expand outdoor availability.