Everything You Need To Know About Pavement Dining And Outdoor Cafe Seating

It comes as no surprise that many cafe owners are looking to extend their business out onto the pavement. That fact that you can instantly maximise your seating with minimal cost, and the fact that it captures the attention of people before they’ve even set foot through your door, makes it an obvious choice to make. However there are also other reasons for taking your cafe business outside.

Councils like it

Did you know that local councils are also increasingly supportive of outside dining in order to improve the overall look and feel of their community. Areas that are bustling with café’s in particular those with outdoor eating areas, portray a thriving, up-market area and one that most councils are keen to promote. So much so in fact that many councils actively encourage it. That said there are a few rules that you need to abide by.

Firstly, most councils require a minimum 3.4 metres of footpath space before they’ll consider outdoor seating. This is so that passer’s by and other street activities aren’t hindered in any way.

There are also strict rules on timings. For examples if you plan to open your cafe before 7am and close after 10pm you might have to apply for a Development Consent license by submitting a development application. The same goes if the outdoor seating is attached to a pub.

You’ll also need to apply for an Outdoor Cafe Permit Licence and make sure that you comply to the agreements pertaining to cafe furniture, barriers, and shade.

So what about costs involved?

Costs of an outdoor license are extremely variable and can fall anywhere between $625 per year for Melbourne city centre locations through to $250 for lesser locations outside of the city centre.

What about the type of cafe furniture required for pavement dining?

Councils will normally provide you with a rough guideline, but in essence you’ll need to stick to tables, chairs, screens, and umbrellas that can easily be removed if necessary (in other words, they can’t be fixed). Councils may also suggest furniture that’s in keeping with the area, or at the very least is consistent with your inside furniture. Finally it’s usually suggested that non-marking furniture or furniture than won’t ruin the pavement area is preferred.

Here at Cafe Furniture Melbourne we stock a wide variety of commercial grade cafe furniture suitable for both inside and outside dining, all at seriously competitive prices. If you’d like to find out more about what we have to offer, you can check out our website at www.cafefurnituremelbourne.com.au or contact us directly on 03 9357 9688.