On May 12, 2021, the Los Angeles City Council (the “Council”) took the first step towards making the popular L.A. Al Fresco outdoor dining program permanent. The Council voted 14-0 to approve a motion that directs various city agencies to issue reports with recommendations on how to transition the program to permanent status.

The Council instructed the Bureau of Engineering and Los Angeles Department of Transportation to “report in 60 days with recommendations to revise the Sidewalk Dining Program and the People St. Program, as appropriate, to expeditiously transition all existing L.A. AI Fresco Pilot Program participants that are operating in the public right-of-way into permanent sidewalk dining locations, including the identification of specific locations that can quickly be made permanent with minimal effort.”

Additionally, the Council instructed the Departments of Building and Safety and City Planning and the Los Angeles Fire Department to provide recommendations for "an appropriate regulatory framework for outdoor dining on private property that is operating under the L.A. Al Fresco Pilot Program, including any changes to State, County and City Codes” needed to make the program permanent.

L.A. Al Fresco permits are currently eligible through September 1, 2021. The idea of making L.A. Al Fresco permanent was first introduced by former City Councilman David Ryu in August 2020. Since the program was launched in May 2020 as a 90-day proposal to assist restaurants during the first state shutdown of indoor dining, restaurants and diners have embraced the additional space and streamlined permit process.